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Washington Evening Journal
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Washington, IA 52353
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Jazz band prepares for Dessert Cabaret
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
WILLIAMSBURG — Students in Williamsburg’s jazz band tossed around ideas for its set list for the Dessert Cabaret during a rehearsal last week.
Two of the numbers, “The Frim Fram Sauce,” written by Redd Evans and Joe Ricardel and made famous by The King Cole Trio, and Nina Simone’s 1965 hit “Feeling Good” feature vocalists Cooper Bott and Molly Thomas.
This year’s music is completely different from last year’s, said Director Leah Grant. “This band has learned more music and harder music than ever before,” she said.
The music contains a lot of excitement and really great solos, Grant said.
About 35 student musicians participate in two jazz bands at the high school, Jazz Input and Jazz Output, said Grant. Some play primarily in one band but play secondary instruments in the other.
“It’s been good,” said Grant.
The bands didn’t earn any awards in competition this season, but Grant is impressed nonetheless. “It’s a very subjective art form,” said Grant. “That they play this much music this well is what I’m really proud of.”
The two high school bands and the junior high jazz band will play during the Dessert Cabaret’s afternoon show Saturday, April 5 at 1 p.m. They’ll be joined by the high school and junior high show choirs.
The 6 p.m. show will feature the senior high groups as well as smaller vocal groups, Sirens and EnHarmony, and a couple of speech contest performances.
“Blue Bones,” an up-tempo number featuring the trombone section, would be a good opener for the jazz band for the night show, the musicians decided. “Michelangelo” would be a good closer.
The second show could open with “Feeling Good,” the musicians said, and close with “Tank,” composed by Yoko Kanno for the Japanese anime television series “Cowboy Bebop.”
The Dessert Cabaret is hosted by The Williamsburg Music Association, a parent organization that supports music programs in the Williamsburg School District. The concert is made possible thanks to the local businesses and organizations sponsoring Williamsburg Music.
Tickets to the Dessert Cabaret are $12 in advance and can be purchased at Williamsburg.ludus.com/index.php.
