The night starts with Stephen Anderson locking eyes with the audience and ripping his mask off with a childish grin. This comedic bit sets the tone of the musical improvisation soon to follow. The lights dim and the band dives into a bombastic opening. After a few minutes of playing in unison, the Marimba player Juan Álamo, takes the lead with an invigorating solo. Veins pop from his neck and his face contorts with the beat. The other members follow suit.
The 360° Jazz Initiative, a faculty and student ensemble, kicks off the week-long UNC Summer Jazz Workshop. Beginning on June 20th, students and players from across North Carolina and the world convene. The glue that holds them together? The language they all speak? Jazz.
This language is best listened to live. The audience locks eyes on the musicians moving to the beat. The players’ faces are marked with expression.
While students study Jazz history and learn theory, the Jazz workshop looks to the future just as much as it learns from the past. On many occasions, the 360° Jazz initiative played contemporary pieces drawn from the arsenal of its homegrown talent. A showcase of young talent and new compositions increased the lively and engaging nature of the show. While Jazz is written in the history books, it is played, experienced, and evolving this week at the UNC Summer Jazz Workshop.