LCC Jazz Band performs this weekend

By Kaitlyn Delaney
Associate Editor/Photo Editor

The LCC Jazz Band, accompanied by local dance company Happendance, is presenting a live jazz concert with four pieces featuring original choreography.

Performances will take place in the recently renovated Dart Auditorium on Friday, Feb. 16 and Saturday Feb. 17, at 7 p.m.  The concerts are free to attend, but donations will be accepted to benefit the performing arts organizations.

Featuring a variety of jazz styles, including fusion, swing, Latin and blues, the composers of the pieces to be performed by the Jazz Band are Count Basie, Michael Philip Mossman and Eddie Harris.

Happendance has created new choreography with the help of Jim McEwan, Rachel Miller, Jennah Quinn Gray and others for the songs “Prime Time” by Basie, “Cold Duck Time” by Harris, and two other pieces.

LCC Jazz Band Director Jonathon Gewirtz said he enjoyed seeing all the hard work the students and dancers have put into this performance, and found the opportunity to work with Happendance exciting.

“It's very cool to see a visual interpretation of the music the band is making,” Gewirtz said. “This is a very unique and exciting opportunity for the band to get to perform with an established dance group like Happendance.”

The LCC Jazz Band and Happendance are shown rehearsing for their upcoming performance in the recently renovated Dart Auditorium.  Photo by Kaitlyn Delaney

Gewirtz said he hopes people will enjoy the performance and maybe experience something new.

Rachel Miller, CEO of Happendance, said working with LCC’s Jazz Band has been fun.

“Jonathan Gewirtz and the musicians have been extremely professional and fun to work with,” Miller said. “I think the best thing about working with the jazz band has been their willingness to adapt, collaborate, and create a space for dance within the compositions.

“Their energy is infectious, and vice versa, which makes for an exciting performance. We even brought the incredible singer Annamaria Horn into the choreography, and she has serious dancing skills!”

Miller said she enjoys the entirety of the performance and how it is structured to take guests on a trip through different eras.

“This performance truly takes people on a journey,” Miller said. “It is entertaining, emotional, fun and exciting. I think this performance will move people and, at the same time, provide a nice escape, which, in my opinion, is what art should do.”