Amita Mananhar
The Paw Print
Adams State University hosted a Homecoming Jazz concert on Friday, Oct. 12. The concert was held at the Richardson hall auditorium.
The concert featured the ASU Big Band, 68 West singers, sophomore Angela Prentiss and Exceptional new alumnus of 2012, Elizabeth Ford.
Despite the cold and rainy weather several people attended the concert. The viewers consisted of Adams State alums, parents of the ASU students and the Adams State students and faculty.
The concert hall was filled with huge applause as the ASU Big Band stepped into the stage.
The concert started off with a fun number “Afro-Blue” tune. The concert was filled with energetic music and catchy foot tapping tunes. The ASU Big Band was conducted by James Doyle, and after the first number was over he welcomed the viewers and introduced all the musicians.
The ASU band also featured sophomore vocalist Angela Prentiss who lent her vocals for the song “The way you look tonight” by Jerome Kern. The song was an Oscar winner for the best song in 1936.
After the song number by Angela Prentiss, the concert featured the 68 West groups. The group was conducted by Dr. Beth Robison and they sang four songs without any background music.
Despite the lack of musical instrument their performance was stellar. The melody and perfect timing of the singers made up for the lack of musical instruments.
They also sang “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen, which Dr. Robison said is an all-time popular song. That song was sung beautifully by the 68 West troupe. All the audiences gave a standing ovation after the hallelujah song. It was soulful and was beautifully handled by the troupe. The last number they did was “Man in the Mirror” which was beautifully executed. The troupe consisted of versatile singers who sang all genres of songs exceptionally.
The show also featured alumni Elizabeth Ford, who sang “How deep is the ocean” accompanied by the ASU Big Band. Ford, who received her bachelor’s degree in music education in 2008, was recognized by ASU as Exceptional new alumna for this year. Ford is teaching elementary in K2 -12 programs in Discovery Canyon. She also did a lecture for music department students here at ASU where she gave information about what she does. She is regarded as a top in the state in the music education field.
The last number by the ASU Big Band was “Sing sing sing.” The last number featured Chelsea Oden in clarinet and Josh Wohlrabe in drums. The beats of this number was exceptionally good and it was filled with energy. The solo drum beat was remarkable in the last musical piece.
The whole concert was standing ovation worthy with a great group of musicians and singers. The next event organized by the music department is a Wind ensemble concert held on Oct. 19 at the Leon Memorial Hall.
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