“The theme of tonight’s concert is ‘in the pocket,’ meaning that we as the band are perfectly in sync and locked in with the groove,” said saxophonist Julia Liu (‘29) to the audience gathered to watch Jazz Band’s concert. In the Pocket. She continued, “the band is so together that the music should feel natural and easy to listen to, and you might find yourself tapping your foot or nodding your head to the beat. If the music feels particularly smooth, comfortable, and fun to listen to, then that is the band playing ‘in the pocket’.”
On December 4, students enrolled in the Jazz I and III classes took the stage to showcase the songs they’ve been working on over the first semester of the 2025-2026 school year.
The setlist had something for everyone. From jazz standards, such as “Moment’s Notice” by John Coltrane and “The Jody Grind” by Horace Silver, to modern hits, like “From the Start” by Laufey.
The setlist also featured a song titled “Reseda,” composed by Bishop’s very own Mr. Robert Anderson, the director of the instrumental music department.
Each song featured solos from the students. Julia explained that solos are “little snippets of the music that we improvise. We’re creating our own melody for this particular piece.” Solos are written out beforehand, while others are improvised on the spot. Each solo offered a glimpse into the student’s creativity as they offered their own take on each song.
For many students in Jazz I, the class served as their introduction to playing jazz, a style of music unique for its rhythms, chord progressions, and solos. “We got a lot better,” said guitarist Ava Mody (‘29). Cellist Lucy Longhurst (‘29) agreed, adding that “there’s been a lot of progress.” “We can get through all the songs without messing up now,” she said, with a laugh.
Before the show, pianist Sophia Velasco (‘29) expressed her excitement about “seeing it all come together” and performing the finished product of what they’ve been working on. She described the journey as having “a lot of ups and downs. We make some progress and then we lose some, but it’s been great.”
For the students new to jazz, the show was the first time performing on the stage — in front of a live audience — bringing excitement, but also nerves.
“My solo,” Pianist Eva Xie (‘30) responded when asked what she was nervous about in the days leading up to the show, “if my solo doesn’t sound good, I will be sad.”
Bassist Katelyn Chan (‘29) had mixed feelings over soloing going into the show, “I’m kind of excited to solo,” she said, “but I haven’t planned it out yet, so hopefully I don’t die.”
“I’m gonna train wreck,” pianist Sophie Duan (‘30) laughed on the day before the show, “but I think it’ll be fine. I’ll just practice.” Despite her nerves, she admitted that in the rehearsals, “[the songs] sound really good. I was honestly surprised at how good they sound.”
Throughout all the challenges, Jazz I built a community from the shared experiences of learning jazz, soloing, and practicing across the semester. Pianist Conner Chen (‘29) explained, “as a class, we worked together really well. We always worked hard. We didn’t make it boring.”
Violinist Michael Lu (‘29) agreed, pointing out that even though “the other band is definitely more experienced than us, this group works so well together.” Jazz I’s “team chemistry is top-notch,” allowing for the perfect environment for jazz.
For Jazz III, the concert was a strong destination for a rocky journey.
In the weeks leading up to the show, Jazz III struggled to find its rhythm. “It was kind of cooked, we train-wrecked on like more than half the songs,” said pianist Aaron Cheng (‘28), admitting that the band struggled during their rehearsals, including the ones before Thanksgiving break, just two weeks before the show.
“We’ve had a lot of issues with a lot of songs,” agreed pianist Nima Movaghar (‘27), reflecting on this semester prior to the show. “I think we could have done better prep.”
“I practiced a lot over break,” Aaron said, “I think people practice over the week. I think we’re in a better spot now.” The show proved Aaron right.
After putting on a show, members of Jazz III, left the stage with a confidence they’d lacked in the days prior.
“It was good,” remarked bassist Noah Smith (‘28), “probably the best the songs have sounded.” Before the show, he’d shared similar worries as his bandmates, but once on stage, any doubts they harbored disappeared.
Trumpeter Bodhi Landin (‘28) echoed that sentiment, “I did not expect it to sound so good. As a group, I think we all rose to the occasion.”
Those in the audience felt equally as impressed. JT Cochrane (‘28) doesn’t normally listen to jazz, but he made the exception to watch his friends perform. “It’s a different vibe than other kinds of music,” he said, “but the show was really good.”
“It feels really impressive how many people there are and how much talent there is,” said Minh Ha (‘28), “[the performance] must’ve taken a lot of work, I’ll definitely be back for the next one.”
