StFX musicians host jazz nights at the Inn
February 18, 2010 12:53 PM
When the topic of what to do on a Thursday night in Antigonish comes up, listening to jazz may not be the first activity that comes to mind.
However, StFX music students plan to abolish this attitude by hosting a night devoted exclusively to jazz music every second Thursday at the Golden X Inn, with the next set of performances slated for this Thursday, February 18.
The upcoming jazz night will feature the Triage Quartet, a student ensemble led by Mike Morriseau, a fourth year music student who specializes in jazz guitar.
The quartet also features Jared Farney on drums, Cam Otto on saxophone and Ron Hynes on bass. The quartet will perform from 9 pm to midnight, and plans to perform three distinct sets.
The first two sets will consist entirely of original compositions written by the group members, while the final set will be weighted towards standards from the jazz canon, likely in the swing and bebop styles.
Overall, Morriseau is pleased with the fact that music students have opportunities to reach a larger audience through the Inn.
“[Before jazz nights started] there was nowhere for students to play besides combo concerts or recitals,” he said.
Jazz nights at the inn came into existence at the beginning of this year when Kris MacSween, General Manager of the Inn, contacted Eugene Smith, a professor in the music department, about whether Smith would be interested in helping to organize a more diverse range of live music at the Inn.
In addition to his duties as a professor, Smith is responsible for booking group of music students for each performance and has two aims in mind when organizing the ensembles.
First of all, Smith wants students who he feels are qualified to get as many gigs as possible, citing that performing in a non-academic setting is key to development as a professional musician.
Additionally, Smith wants to use jazz night to increase cultural awareness among the student body.
“My intent is to get students from outside the [music] program involved in things that are outside the framework of what’s currently on the radio,” he explained.
Another unique aspect of jazz night is the martini specials. The Inn will offer two ounce martini specials for $5.25.
According to MacSween, the specials were implemented in order to create a specific atmosphere different from that of a typical weekend night at other drinking establishments. Eugene Smith also approves of the combination of martinis and jazz, as he believes that the availability of more sophisticated beverages encourages more responsible alcohol consumption amongst students. “We want it to feel a bit classier than a normal bar night,” MacSween remarked.
Although having performances every other Thursday attracts a consistent crowd larger than what the Inn’s management would ordinarily expect, Eugene Smith is concerned by the absence of students from outside the music program at jazz nights so far this year.
Accordingly, Smith would like jazz night to become a weekly event, proposing that a weekly performance schedule would be more consistent and lead to more word of mouth.
When asked about plans to make jazz night a weekly event, MacSween said that he is open to the idea for next year, but is also considering the idea of biweekly performances alternating with other live music nights, perhaps focusing on genres such as blues or funk.
If the idea of a relaxing evening listening to jazz is appealing, be sure to head to the inn this Thursday, February 18 to catch Mike Morriseau and the Triage Quartet.
Cover is $2, with performances beginning at 9 PM. Another jazz night is scheduled for March 11, and will feature an ensemble led by StFX student Scott Neary.
