Last Saturday, October 16, Stockton hosted the Boilermaker Jazz Band in the Performing Arts Center. Their show, “When Swing Was King,” was comprised of famous jazz musician Benny Goodman’s greatest hits. Opening with The Jersey Bounce, and closing with perhaps Goodman’s most famous song, Sing, Sing, Sing, the Boilermaker Jazz Band put on a wonderful concert.
Although the PAC wasn’t packed, it was clear that everyone in the audience really enjoyed the performance. Despite the old age and limited mobility of most of the concert-goers, nearly everyone clapped and gave a standing ovation when the band had finished playing. Apart from one kid who looked to be around 7 or 8 years old, my girlfriend and I seemed to be the youngest attendees (you could get a pretty good estimate of how many people were there by counting the piles of walkers left at each entrance). Based on age, I would wager that to most of the audience, the music wasn’t new. The songs the band performed were the songs they grew up with- my generation’s equivalent of Justin Bieber or Katy Perry’s latest hits. However, even as someone who enjoys and listens to jazz, I only recognized a few songs out of both sets the band played.
I love going to jazz concerts. In addition to discovering new music to listen to (and to learn how to play), I enjoy trying to understand the context of songs: what was happening in the world when they were written, and how these goings-on made people feel. Jazz, I believe, is unique in the way that it allows musicians to express emotion. Improvisation, a staple of the genre, allows artists to “play how they feel.” Although improv dates back to the classical era and continues into modern music, it plays a more central role in jazz that isn’t achievable in other genres. I’m fascinated by the thoughts and stories that went into writing each song.
I really enjoyed the concert, and hope the Boilermaker Jazz Band will be back at Stockton soon!