Despite the snow fluttering outside, the warm and gentle sounds of jazz soothed the hearts of concertgoers at the Harper Performing Arts Center on Saturday, April 22. The college’s talented faculty members, along with guest pianist Kevin Fort from Northwestern University, put on an impressive recital that showcased their expertise both as musicians and composers.

Fort’s piano skills weaved together seamlessly with the sophisticated percussion from Darren Scorza and groovy basslines from Cory Biggerstaff. The rhythm section was perfectly complemented by solos from Ian McGarrie on tenor saxophone and Jeff Hedberg on the trumpet, along with Edgar Gabriel, who provided an interesting addition to the ensemble with his violin.

“It’s unusual to have a violinist who improvises, but it’s just something I always did.” Gabriel said. “I’m a composer too – all composers are really improvising. They just write down what they improvise.”

(Read more about Gabriel here.)

The night started off with a tribute to Wayne Shorter, a legendary saxophone player and jazz composer who passed away in early March of 2023. Known for his innovative approach to jazz and his significant contributions to the genre, Shorter first gained recognition in the 1950s and 1960s as a member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and Miles Davis’ Second Great Quintet, where he showcased his talents.

After the show, Jeff Hedberg commented that “She’s a Doozy” – one of Gabriel’s compositions – was his favorite of the night. It featured Gabriel’s violin skills with notable solos from every member of the ensemble.

Despite the small turnout of around 30 people, music lovers were delighted to witness such a remarkable showcase of talent: proving that even a cold auditorium and a small audience couldn’t dampen the passion for music. 

“I expected nothing short of excellence, because Jeff Hedberg is my teacher – he’s my voice teacher,” Harper student and music major Klara Carrera said. “I was excited to see what he had prepared.”

Even though Carrera had a good idea of the kind of concert she was walking into, the band had a few surprises in store for her that made the whole experience that much more memorable. 

“Not a lot of other performances have their own original compositions,” Carrera said. “So that’s always nice to see someone write specifically for the group they’re performing with. That’s not very common.”

After the show, Hedberg commented that “She’s a Doozy” – one of Gabriel’s compositions – was his favorite of the night. It featured Gabriel’s violin skills with notable solos from every member of the ensemble.

Despite having limited opportunities to rehearse together in person, the group managed to showcase their talent and expertise through sharing their compositions online and going over them just before the concert.

 “We’re all seasoned professional jazz players; in fact, we have one of the best jazz faculties, and music faculties, that you can find.” Gabriel said. “These guys are such great musicians. They don’t need much rehearsal.” 

For information about upcoming concerts visit the Harper Box Office, click here.