Jazz Combo takes Grand Prize at Prestigious Folsom Jazz Festival

By Cedric He and Melina Galacatos, Feature Copy Editor and Staff Writer

// On Jan. 17, the Acalanes Jazz Band competed in the Folsom Jazz Festival and returned home with two trophies. The Jazz Combo placed first in the Combo C division and received the highest overall score, while the Jazz Ensemble placed second in the 1A division. 

   Several instruments that play and improvise with standard jazz pieces make up both groups, however, combos are typically smaller in size than ensembles. The Acalanes Jazz Combo consists of seniors Lucas Chow and Spencer Tantemeng, along with juniors Nathan Joseph and Leo Wornick. 

   Unlike other musical groups, the Combo’s rehearsal process is almost entirely student-driven. The freedom to make musical decisions and self-organize is one factor that has shaped the Combo’s interpersonal chemistry.

   “They collaborate in the moment in a way that I have never seen high school musicians play like that in my career, its really good. They leave room for each other and they have very sophisticated improvisation and when you experience them, you feel like you’re watching something really really special,” Acalanes Band Director Edwin Cordoba said. 

   To prepare for the Folsom Jazz Festival, both groups drew on their previous jazz experience to choose performance pieces that aligned with a common spirit. The Combo selected ‘Resolution’ by John Coltrane, ‘Home by Joel Ross,’ and ‘After the Rain’ by John Coltrane; the Ensemble decided on ‘Whodunnit?’ by Gordon Goodwin, ‘The Time is Now’ by Eliane Elias, and ‘Donna Lee’ by Charlie Parker.

   “We found songs that held a particular vision that was brought out through our music, in our case, the story of returning home after being lost in an unfamiliar & chaotic place,” senior and Jazz Combo member Spencer Tantameng said.   

   Leading up to the competition, the Combo had limited opportunities to practice together, though each member was intimately familiar with the pieces and felt prepared to perform.

   “We were only able to rehearse a few times before the festival so each rehearsal was pretty rushed and focused. We seem to all work together well so it was a smooth process,” junior and Jazz Combo member Leo Wornick said.

   Combo members felt confident in their performance and found their competing experience fulfilling. The judges’ scoring echoed their passion for jazz music and its use to tell a story.

   “[Though] we have done this festival several times before, it felt great and rewarding when we won,” junior and Jazz Combo member Nathan Joseph said.

   New members of the Jazz Ensemble also express excitement over the group’s success in numerous categories.

   “This was my first really serious jazz competition, so to see that we did well felt really awesome. We played great, but of course there are always some improvements we can make to play even better. In addition, our combo also did amazing because they really have a passion for the music, they enjoy playing jazz and have been doing it for a while,” frosh and Jazz Ensemble member Noah Moseley said.

   Combo members attribute the group’s success to a balance of individual technical skills and the ability to work with others.

   “I think our rehearsal time together, our energy, and the hard songs we selected contributed to our win. We practiced our set, which we planned out early on, during lunch and academy for the weeks leading up to the festival. We had to decide how fast to play each song and had to practice to stay together and tell a story.” Joseph said.

   The Jazz Combo is optimistic about future events and competitions, including the Santa Cruz and Reno jazz festivals. Members of the group reflect positively on their experience participating in the Folsom Jazz Festival. 

   “We have a few more festivals and concerts coming up [and] I feel confident about our combo. We have insanely talented musicians who are very strong musically and I can’t wait to play with them in more festivals,” Chow said.