Dr. John Ginocchio Leads Jazz Ensemble in “Around the World in 80 Riffs”
“Over the years we have had some strong jazz ensembles, but this fall’s group is one of the best we’ve ever had,” said Jazz Ensemble director Dr. John Ginocchio.
Ginocchio led his ensemble group in the defiant fall program, “Around the World in 80 Riffs” on Dec. 9. Numerous styles of jazz were showcased in the night’s performances, including big band, jazz waltz, ballad, rock, fusion, and bossa nova.
Songs performed included “The Girl from Impanema,” “Norwegian Wood,” and “Beyond the Sea.”
Each piece performed refers to a location around the globe, and travel in general. Ginocchio hopes that those in attendance enjoyed a “leisurely musical trip around the globe.”
Some pieces had been previously played earlier in the semester, while others were completely new. Preparation for the 90 minute show was intense. The ensemble meets three times a week to prepare for concerts.
“During rehearsals, we look carefully at the styles of the pieces we’re playing and work to present the most authentic and musical performance possible,” said Ginocchio. “We also practice other skills involved in performing jazz music including improvisation and ‘comping’ on chords in the rhythm section.”
Rehearsals can’t account for the unexpected. During the piece “Rio After Dark,” a ten minute power outage disrupted the show. When the lights came back, the dedicated performers resumed.
“If you happen to see the lights come back on, that’s a special effect and we planned it,” joked Ginocchio at the performance.
In addition to the ensemble, Luke Nelson, Alyssa Fator, and Noah Anderson, vocalists from the music program, were featured. Extra care went into rehearsals to get the pieces with the vocalists just right.
“Performing with vocalists requires a very different approach for the musicians in the band,” said Ginocchio. “This is a great opportunity for our members to learn this skill while providing performing opportunities in jazz for our vocalists.”
The Jazz Ensemble has had many successful performances this semester, including shows for the University Gala, the opening reception for the students visiting from Udon Thani Rajabhat University and for the annual “A Very Prairie Christmas” event that took place on Dec. 7.
The ensemble’s next performance will be the annual “SMSU Jazz Artist Residency” show on Mar. 24 at Marshall High School and Mar. 25 at Luverne High School. It will feature Dr. Bill Prince as a guest jazz artist.
“Each performer has worked very hard to make the most out of every piece, and it shows in our playing,” said Ginocchio.
