Jazz Ensembles Begin New Year on a High Note
Rivers’ Select 1 Combo and Honors Big Band were featured at the Ryles Jazz Club in Cambridge on Friday, September 22, and impressed the audience with their polished performances.
“Your jazz program at Rivers is phenomenal,” wrote Mark Snyder from Ryles after the show. “Last night was a thrill. The students, both in Combo and Big Band, were stunning, especially considering it is so early in the year. They have so much confidence, talent, and skills beyond their years. ”
Members of the Honors Big Band include: Phie Jacobs ’18, baritone saxophone; Jonah Berg ’20, alto saxophone; Will Randall ’21, tenor saxophone; Rayha McPherson ’20, alto saxophone/clarinet; Alex Clay ’18, tenor saxophone/clarinet; Calvin Smith ’21, trumpet; Dylan Keusch ’19, trumpet; Jack Baker ’18, trumpet; Nina Knight ’18, trumpet; Joseph Nedder ’18, trombone; Theo Haviland ’19, trombone; Lindy Billhardt ’19, trombone; Cameron Dailey ’21, trombone; Michael Manasseh ’19, drums; Joel Manasseh ’20, bass; David Gomez ’20, guitar; Henry Lewis ’20, piano. Select 1 Combo members are: Joe Nedder, Joel Manasseh, Michael Manasseh, and Henry Lewis.
The Select 1 Combo opened the set with their own arrangement of the jazz standard “There will never be another you,” then performed part of the set they are working on for the 2018 Charles Mingus High School Competition. The Honors Big Band followed and opened their set with a Billy Strayhorn arrangement of “ Raincheck,” followed by two Mingus compositions, “Sue’s Changes” and “Opus 4”—tunes that they will be recording and submitting to the Mingus competition.
“The show was a great opportunity for the students to kick off the musical year and perform in the prestigious jazz club,” said Jazz Band Director Philippe Crettien. “We are all in performance mode after our first concert. This was a wonderful night of music and great fun shared by the students and an enthusiastic audience. Even though the Honors Big Band students performed after only two weeks of school, the dedicated students in this first Honors music class delivered a powerful set!”
The Honors Big Band has also been invited to a joint workshop on October 31 with members of MIT’s Jazz Program. Rivers alumnus and current MIT undergraduate Richard Oates ’14 is a member of the MIT Jazz Band, led by director Fred Harris. Also coming up on November 11 is Rivers’ annual Jazz Fest which will feature all Upper and Middle School ensembles. Greg Hopkins, professor at the Berklee College of Music and commissioned composer for the festival, will give a master class for jazz students, and the Honors Big Band will perform his commissioned piece at the conclusion of the festival.
Because of the increased interest in the Jazz program at Rivers, and the depth of the talent pool, the Performing Arts Department offered an Honors level as well as a regular level of Big Band this year, similar to the multiple levels of Select Combo that have been in place for years. In addition to their participation in the jazz ensembles, several of the students are members of Rivers’ Conservatory Program, which provides student musicians with the after-school classes and performance opportunities needed to cultivate their musical artistry while at the same time encountering a rigorous and challenging academic experience.
© 2021 The Rivers School. All Rights Reserved
Rivers admits academically qualified students and does not discriminate against students or families on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or ethnic or national origin in the administration of its educational programs, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic programs, and other school-administered programs.