The sounds of jazz music filled the Great Hall of the Soraya on Friday, Oct. 4 as a large crowd filled the seats to watch two-time GRAMMY-Award winning musician, John Beasley, to conduct CSUN Jazz Bands A and B.
Beasley, pianist, composer, arranger, music director, producer, conductor and educator has been awarded two GRAMMY Awards and 12 nominations for his music. He began his career backing prominent jazz figures like Miles Davis. The concert featured compositions by Thelonious Monk, Chick Corea and Beasley, who also arranged the evening setlist.
As the night began, the venue buzzed with enthusiastic chatter as attendees waited for the show to begin, many of whom were there to support their friends and family on stage.
CSUN’s Jazz Band B, directed by Michael Mull, opened the night with Monk’s “Rhythm-a-Ning/Evidence,” setting the tone for an energetic evening.
The setlist offered a range of moods, from lively, fast tempo pieces such as Beasley’s “Steve-O” to softer, moodier works such as Monk’s “Light Blue”, creating distinct shifts in energy throughout the night.
Following Band B’s performance of “Steve-O,” Beasley took the stage to conduct the rest of the concert. He began by taking a breath, snapping and humming to lead the band into Monk’s “Ask Me Now.”
During the final two songs, Beasley occasionally joins in, playing his melodica alongside the band.
The piano was the central to Band B’s performance with pianist Mathew Yang and Isaih Bueno captivating the audience.
Band B’s performance concluded with applause from the crowd. Yang, a first year Jazz studies major and Band B’s pianist, expressed pride in the group’s performance.
“There was a lot of things that we were, all together as a group, really locked in on,” says Yang. “The vibes were really good, and the musicianship and music-making was really top-notch. I had a lot of fun.”
Following a brief intermission, Beasley joined Band A, directed by Tina Raymond, on stage for the final set of which began with “Epistrophy” by Monk.
The band appeared confident on stage, visibly feeling the rhythm of the music as they scrunched their faces and nodded along to the music.
One of the night’s standout performances was Chick Corea’s “Space Circus”where the band would alternate powerful, booming melodies and slower, mystical-sounding melodies.This piece featured an intense alto saxophone solo by Jordan Leitch.
Another highlight was Band A’s collaboration with guest performer and violinist, Gianna Pedregon, Monk’s “Crepuscule With Nellie.” The song followed a calmer, moodier tone. During Pedregon’s performance, members of the ensemble were seen snapping their fingers and swaying to the music.
Before the concert concluded with Monk’s Criss Cross” Beasley thanked band directors Mull and Raymond, the students musicians and jokingly the years of private music lessons.
“Both bands are equally killing it,” said Beasley.
By the end of the night, both bands delivered stellar performances, playing with control and precision. David Saycich, also known as DJ Saycich and the alto saxophone player for Band B praised his peers.
“Everybody’s so inspiring, so getting to see all their hard work payoff and just see how good everyone sounds… it’s a great way to spend the night, and it’s awesome to be around these individuals and be so inspired,” said Saycich.
Pianist Yang shared some insight on the band’s preparation for the concert, explaining that rehearsals began before Beasley’s involvement to ensure the music was polished.
“Then, when he would get there, he would just work on really artistic things and digging into the music in a way that he would see in his vision for his compositions. A lot of that was really helpful in getting the essence of each piece,” said Yang.
Saycich added that the band put a lot of effort into rehearsals to make sure music sounded its best.
“We’ve tried to stay super focused on our rehearsals, trying to get the music sounding as good as possible. And, you know, at the end of the day we are human. It’s human music,” said Saycich.
Audience members seemed to be moved by the music and the musicianship of the band, applauding several times throughout and praising the band members for their performance during intermission and after the concert.
Amy Leitch, an attendee, expressed excitement over her son Jordan Leitch’s opportunity to play with Beasley.
“[I’m] beyond thrilled. What a great experience!,” said Leitch. As for her opinion on the overall show, Leitch said, “I thought it was fantastic!”
The opportunity to work with Beasley is something that Saycich found great value in.
“He’s super precise, knows what he wants, moves very, very quick, but is so kind and just a very sweet individual,” Saycich said. “It’s just great to be in front of someone that’s like been doing this for so long and played with Miles Davis and Freddie Hubbard, like those are heroes to us all.”
Beasley’s performance with CSUN’s Jazz Bands A and B were part of Beasley’s current California tour. He will return in December for additional performances in Montclair and Santa Monica.
