Jazzed About Playing

Chance meeting of young musicians creates new band

Matt Mazzoni

Matt Mazzoni

Friday, August 8, 2014

Garrison Burgess had yet to meet the two other young men who earned scholarships from the Northwest Arkansas Jazz Society this year.

But they were all scheduled to perform at Saturday night's Composer's Showcase, so they sat down for a rehearsal.

FAQ

The Composer’s Showcase

WHEN — 8 p.m. Saturday

WHERE — George’s Majestic Lounge, Fayetteville

COST — $25-$35

INFO — digjazz.com

"We just kind of found something we have really works together," says Burgess, who recently graduated from Bentonville High School and will soon study music education at the University of Arkansas. "The chemistry with the band is really great."

Soon, the notion of a one-off gig went away. The scholarship-winning trio of Burgess on drums, Matt Mazzoni on guitar and Michael Hanna on alto sax now plans to continue as a quartet that also includes bassist Cody Johnson, a NAJS scholarship winner from last year.

But that's getting ahead of things. Their first gig takes place Saturday night and will actually feature local jazz scene staple Drew Packard on bass, as Johnson is booked elsewhere for the evening.

The gig takes place as part of the larger Composer's Showcase, the final event in the KUAF Summer Jazz Series. Originally scheduled for the Starr Theater inside the Walton Arts Center building, roof repairs at that venue forced a location change to George's Majestic Lounge. As in previous years, the Composer's Showcase will feature local jazz musicians performing original compositions. On the bill are players such as Walter Savage, Matt Smith, Claudia Burson and The Tritones.

True to the longstanding theme of the Composer's Showcase, the scholarship group -- so new it doesn't yet have a name -- will perform an original piece of its own creation. The work does have a name -- "Dig Deeper."

Burgess says that while the players have ties to jazz music, their contribution on Saturday will lean toward funk. He and his bandmates, he adds, would eventually like to offer funk-infused renditions of pop hits.

Again, that's looking into the future, something Burgess is happy to ponder.

"I think it's the humble beginning of a good thing," he says of the new band.

-- Kevin Kinder

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NAN What's Up on 08/08/2014