Jazz Ensemble Combines Education with Entertainment

The Hi-Line of North Central Montana played host to a jazz ensemble from Atlanta, Georgia, on November 5, and the students of Turner and Dodson schools were recipients of the talent of the Jazz Legacy Project (JLP). The group was the third in the Big Sky Series presented by the Northeastern Arts Network.

Students and faculty gathered in Dodson's gymnasium for music lessons and performances by the band of four musicians who have been playing together for seven years. Justin Varnes, the band's leader who also plays drums, explained how jazz derives its unique sound from three main elements: syncopation, improvisation, and the Blues.

"You can turn any song into jazz by messing with the rhythms, adding personal flair and interpretation, and blending it with the uniquely American sound of the Blues," Varnes stated. "Jazz has influenced much of America's popular music."

By way of demonstration, the group performed "Happy Birthday," with Nick Rosen on keyboard, Kevin Smith on the acoustic bass-which he described as the "larger, grumpier cousin" of the cello-and John Sandfort on the tenor saxophone.

Varnes took a variety of questions from the audience, so when one member asked when the four began playing, each band member revealed that he has been playing since fifth or sixth grade. Rosen, however, started playing piano when he was only five years old.

The jazz ensemble alternated between entertaining and sharing musical education. Varnes told the crowd that music tells a story. In that analogy, he compared the saxophonist to the main character or subject in the storytelling process, while the keyboard serves as an emotional barometer. Rosen demonstrated how chords are played in a major or a minor key, with the major chords conveying a happy tune and the minor chords carrying a sadder tone. "In this way, jazz musicians engage in musical conversations that sound a bit different each time they play," Rosen stated.

Next, Smith took the microphone to explain how the bass holds up the band in the same way that a foundation gives structure to a building. "Good walking basslines have to fulfill two key roles in jazz music: The bass notes must provide a clear harmonic context of the song and must also lead the listener through the harmony. To do that, I play four notes, called four on the floor, or two notes, which control the song's feel."

Finally, Varnes on drums not only controls a song's rhythm but can change its culture. "We can blend in some swing elements or some Rio sounds to alter a song and add cultural influences. If I want to change the color or texture of a song's story, I might use mallets instead of drum sticks. If I want a softer, whispering or scratching sound, I reach for the brushes. Each of these tools lends a different touch sensitivity."

Of the three performances students attended in the past two months, many spoke out in favor of the JLP. "They were so mindful of our curiosities and engaged us by asking and answering our questions," one student remarked.