Jazz ensembles from both RHS and RMS performed for an appreciative audience at the 11th Annual Jazz Coffee House, held in the high school Commons on Wednesday, Jan. 29.
“The Jazz Coffee House was a lot of fun,” sophomore attendee Josie Schiedel said. “I think all the bands, both middle school and high school, performed really well.”
The beloved annual event offers listeners an exceptional jazz experience in a non-traditional setting. “Audience members get a much closer seat than normal and are able to have coffee and desserts while listening,” said Nicholas Fantazzi, the director of RHS Jazz Ensemble I. “This creates a ‘jazz club’ vibe that’s different than any of our other performances.”
The evening began with the RMS Jazz Ensemble, directed by Thomas Davidson. The selection of songs included “Nutcracker Swing,” a jazz arrangement of music from Tchaikovsky’s ‘The Nutcracker’ ballet; “Yesterday” by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, arranged by Mike Story; “Avenue Swing” by Mike Collins-Dowden; and “Raja Raja Chozhan,” arranged by Rick Stitzel, which an RMS musician performed solo.
Next up was the RHS Jazz Ensemble II, directed by James Scanlan, which held the audience rapt. The final ensemble, RHS Jazz Ensemble I, performed four songs–“Nardis,” “The Queen Bee,” “The Cat” and “Seesaw”–to close the show.
“I thought the coffee house went well and that everyone had fun,” said sophomore Katelyn Ford, a Jazz Ensemble musician.
In addition to entertaining the audience, the event had the added bonus of helping the RHS and RMS student musicians prepare musically for their upcoming spring concerts. With the $10 admission fee, the coffee house also raised money for the Randolph jazz program, helping to fund the purchase of new equipment and defray costs for the concerts, scheduled for May 8 and 14.
