Betty Carter. Dizzy Gillespie. Oscar Peterson. The PHS Jazz Band.
On Monday, May 26, the PHS Jazz Band performed at Yoshi’s in Jack London Square. This year was the band’s second year performing at the famous jazz club, the annual performance serving as a fundraise for the Piedmont Schools’ Jazz Band Program.
The high school group teamed up with the middle school jazz program for the performance, exposing the younger musicians to high school level performing.
“I think that it brings out a lot more people into the audience also it gets the middle school community excited about what is happening at the high school, that is a great thing about it,” Jazz band director Andria Mullan said.
Junior Liam Schindler said that performing at Yoshi’s is one of the highlight events of the year for the Jazz Band.
“It was incredible,” Schindler said. “The stage is super. It’s very dramatic to be on stage at Yoshi’s. The way they do the lighting, it makes you feel like a really big deal.”
The group performed two sets, including songs such as Superstition by Stevie Wonder. Schindler, along with juniors Xavi Prospero, Graham Dean, and sophomore Evan Hanke performed Bloom, an original song by Schindler. The quartet featured Schindler on the piano, Prospero on the guitar, Dean on the drums, and Hanke on the bass.
“My favorite part was playing Liam’s original song,” Prospero said. “It was really cool to play something that Liam wrote at such a famous and well known place.”
Mullan said that she was pleased with this year’s performance and thought that the ensemble gave a good performance.
“I thought the students did a really good job and it seemed like they had a really good time,” Mullan said.
Schindler and Prospero said that although it was a successful night, they thought the group’s second set was better than their first.
“We were able to fix our mistake and we sounded way better in the second set,” Prospero said. “I think we weren’t quite in the mood. We weren’t pumped up to play and in the second [set] we all got pumped up and we all danced together. The vibes were better.”
Mullan said that due to the long weekend, she was unsure of how the event would turnout.
“I was a little concerned because it was the holiday but I think we had just as many people there as last year, if not more,” Mullan said.
Mullan said that this year’s performance raised about $3500, about the same amount that was raised last year. Last year’s proceeds purchased two new tenor saxophones for the music program.
“I don’t know what we will do with it this year but we’ll sort of decide what the program needs are at the end of the year or the beginning of the year,” Mullan said.
She said that overall, the Jazz Band had a successful night and that she looks forward to next year.
“We are already looking at scheduling a date for next year,” Mullan said. “We also appreciate everyone who came out and if someone wants to catch the show next year look for the advertisements.”