By Lauren Zazzara
The St. Bonaventure campus will be swaying to the sounds of jazz over the course of this school year with the CLAR 209 Jazz Concert Series funded by the Keenan-Martine endowment.
The series began on Oct. 22 with a Jazz ‘n Wings performance by Les Sabina and the Sextet.
Sabina, Ph.D, a music professor, said that Oleg Bychkov, Ph.D, a theology professor, used to apply for the endowment. He gave some of the money to the music department to fund Jazz ‘n Wings nights so CLAR 209, or Arts and Literature, students, who often have to see a live music performance as a class requirement, could meet that requirement on campus.
“The Jazz ‘n Wings was an attempt to show jazz played in a typical bar or restaurant atmosphere where there’s not only the music but the activity, the food and drink. Which is important, because that’s how a lot of jazz is presented,” said Sabina. “So we try to mimic that experience for students.”
Catherine Brown, a junior journalism and mass communication major, said she has been going to Jazz ‘n Wings performances since she was a freshman.
“I’ve always enjoyed how emotionally evoking jazz music is,” she said. “For me, it replicates passion, grief, excitement and pleasure. I feel how completely human it is, and I love that. Listening to it live is a whole different experience.”
Sabina said that because Bychkov decided not to apply for the Keenan-Martine grant this year, he decided to apply so that he could use the money to create a series of jazz concerts that included Jazz ‘n Wings and two professional concerts.
“What’s neat about the series is [that] I’m trying to show jazz in different situations,” Sabina said. “…The other concerts which will bring in people from Buffalo and Rochester are a true concert experience,” Sabina said.
A committee made up of Bonaventure faculty representatives chooses the recipients of the endowment.
“The committee believed that this unique endeavor would support the goals of the particular course and provided an impact overall for the SBU community,” said Leigh Simone, an associate professor of modern languages and a faculty representative on the committee. “Collaboration is a key element and that is the essence of jazz. Thus, Dr. Sabina’s grant was quintessentially faithful to both the tenants of jazz and Clare.”
The Dave Schiavone Quartet will perform on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. in the Rigas Family Theater. Schiavone is a woodwind player from Buffalo.
The series will continue next semester with another Jazz ‘n Wings night (date to be announced) and a performance by Sal Andolina & the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Big Band on Tuesday, March 22.
“Hopefully students can compare the ambience of the two types of experiences, bar or pub versus concert hall,” Sabina said.
Sabina said all of the concerts will be free to students because of the endowment.
“I hope students see that there is a wide variety of sounds in jazz,” Sabina said. “I hope there is a realization that jazz is still out there and it’s a viable music and all that jazz.”
zazzarlm13@bonaventure.edu
