High-Energy Jazz as Groton Plays Ryles

Twenty-three students, representing every form, performed to a packed house that included alumni, locals, parents, faculty, and students, as well as Headmaster Temba Maqubela and former Headmaster Bill Polk. Audience members traveled from Colorado, Hong Kong, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, and towns all over Massachusetts for the performance.

 

The big band, Soul Sauce, opened the show with a lively opening set that included “Gospel John,” “Hay Burner,” “Lil’ Darlin’,” a very quick “Sweet Georgia Brown,” and “Groovin’ Hard.” They were joined by singer Kochoe Nikoi ’19 for a smooth and charming performance of Gershwin’s “S’Wonderful.” Three Sixth Formers, Paul Malone (on trumpet), Jon Lamson (on guitar), and Randeep Grewal (on baritone saxophone) set just the right upbeat tone, enticing their audience to relax and have fun. 

Other performers in the nineteen-member big band are Sammy Agrawal ‘21, Alden Alijanim ’20, Garvel Cassamajor ‘18, Cara Chang ‘20, Kate Clark ‘21, Alan Du ‘20, Joshua Guo ‘20, Henry Kuck ‘20, Andrew Lei ‘19, Riya Malhotra ‘19, Christina Oelhafen ‘21, Sunhoo Park ‘18, Jed Rainey ‘20, Dashy Rodriguez ‘19, Aroon Sankoh ‘21, and Brian Xiao ‘19.

 

A small combo led my Max Klein ’18 on piano, with Rami Hahami ’22 on trumpet, Andrew Lei ’19 on double bass, and Gloria Hui ’19 on drum set followed the larger group. They treated the crowd to some nice solo playing on "Satin Doll" and "All of Me."

 

The Riverside Combo, composed of Brian Xiao (on alto sax), Andrew Lei (on double and electric bass), Jon Lamson (on guitar and vocals), Joshua Guo (on piano), and Kate Clark (on drum set) amped up the energy when they played the British funk band Jamiroquai’s acid jazz number, “Virtual Insanity.” Highlights of their set included Chick Corea’s “Spain,” Steely Dan’s “Josie,” and an old-fashioned blues song by Jimmy Cox, “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out.” Jon Lamson provided vocals and smokin’ guitar work on the blues song to the crowd’s delight. Riverside performed this song in the style of Derrick and the Dominoes. Jon gave Eric Clapton a run for his money!

 

The big band Soul Sauce really intensified the energy when Randeep Grewal absolutely shredded the bari sax solo in Charles Mingus’s “Moanin’.” The audience broke into wide grins when the band played Joshua Guo’s enchanting composition “Shining.” Tenor sax player Dashy Rodriguez put down her horn for a feature with the band, singing “Don’t Know Why” by Norah Jones and a bossa nova version of Jimmy Van Heusen’s “Polka Dots and Moonbeams.” Finally, the band turned to the great Earth, Wind, and Fire hit “September.” Then enthusiastic crowd applause brought the band back for an encore, “The Chicken” by Pee Wee Ellis.

 

Join us again at Ryles next winter!—Mary Ann Lanier, Director of Instrumental Music

See more photos from Ryles.

Photo by Kenji Kikuchi