Jazz is in the air at The Inn
January 22, 2026 6:19 PM
When you hear the words jazz night, what imagery immediately springs to mind? If you envision a scenario in which patrons would be sparse in number, wearing berets and black turtle necks, with some sedate tune playing in the background whilst the aforementioned mulled over martinis, you would have been markedly surprised by an event which occurred last Thursday.
On Jan. 13, the music department hosted a musical treat known as Jazz Night at the Inn. I went, not knowing what to expect as this was my first excursion to any music night at the Inn since my first year. Under the flawed impression that Latin Jazz would be a whole lot quieter, I was nearly knocked out of my seat as the first number rousingly began like a punch to the teeth.
The show consisted of a number of lively Latin Jazz pieces all performed by the students of the music department and conducted by Gene Smith, the chair of the department. To wax poetically, rather than to attempt to appraise the music by any means technical, the brass was rousing, the bass lines haunting, and the percussion intricate and intriguing. It was music you could really tap your feet to.
One becomes acquainted very quickly with the fact that Latin Jazz is full of large solo sections in the pieces of music. Each member of the ensemble playing was given a chance to individually shine. Their talents were showcased in thorough impressive solos for which each performer was given personal credit by Smith exhorting the audience’s credit for each effort through applause. The music was high-energy, well-played, and started and ended with flourish.
Jazz Night at the Inn drew in a solid crowd, accumulating throughout the first few songs. The cover for the event was a mere $3, a negligible fee considering the quality of the entertainment. The performance of the music department was met with deserved, unanimous praise.
Professors John Cook and Allison Butler described the performance as “fabulous” and were “...very impressed with the music department!” Robyn Peters, an employee at the Inn extolled the ensemble as “great. [They were] really lively and drew a crowd in on a Thursday. And, that’s really uncommon. They were really well put together and professional.”
Robyn Alcorn, a graduating honours student in the Jazz program this year commended the unique sound that the department brought to their music night this past Thursday. “The music’s really good,” she said. “It was obviously well-rehearsed. It’s great to hear music that’s not ‘pop-stream’.”
One of the few grievances one could make is that the Inn doesn’t have acoustics through which they could sound their best. Despite that, you never hear that many instrumentalists at once; it’s a unique sound that’s hard to replicate.”
Alcorn added with emphasis that, “It’s not just an auditory experience. All your senses are stimulated, the sounds, the sight of the people playing right before you, even the way you feel the bass and the percussion; it’s more than just what you hear when you’re watching people play this kind of music live. I’m proud of them.”
Jazz night is one of a number of bi-weekly events hosted by the Music Department, every other Thursday at the Inn. Music night at the Inn is a program established with the intent of giving students a taste of the local talent, and letting them know that there’s more to the local nightlife in terms of music than just the “Top-40” kind of music you are used to hearing at the Pub on any given Saturday.