One Last Chance To Catch Jazz Forum Friday, 12:15 p.m. in Hales Studio A Story and photos by Linda Shockley
			"Fried Chicken" performs at a recent Jazz Forum. Members include Ian Cronin-Young, saxophones; Evan Wilson, guitar; Thomas Bencivengo, saxophones; Matthew Elliot, double bass; Brian Chase, drums; directed by Neal Creque, teacher of jazz piano. There's only one last chance to catch a Jazz Forum this academic year. Held each Friday, 12:15-1:15, in Studio A at Hales Gymnasium, the forum showcases the work of jazz performance students, faculty and guests. Two small ensembles perform for a half-hour; the groups are most often formed for the express purpose of the forum. Showcased works are often original tunes or new arrangements of jazz standards, and all performances are followed by audience feedback. The bands are eager to take risks. The small space of Studio A is usually packed but the crowded space doesn't seem to matter. The windows are opened and the audience spills onto the floor and window ledges. "The Jazz Forum," says associate professor of jazz studies Peter Dominguez, "started in the early '90s and grew into its current format when I took the responsibility of organizing it in 1996. The forum serves jazz studies in several ways. It provides a standard meeting time to facilitate organizational issues and to promote dialogue among students, faculty and the community. We feature guests and faculty during the first four weeks of the class, and the remainder of the semester serves as a studio class for jazz majors and those students participating in the small jazz ensembles." Andrew Hunter, Michael Reavey, Zachary Hickman and Brian Wesolowski at a recent Jazz Forum. Not shown: Tony Malone on piano, Josh Arenberg on drums. Trumpeter Farnell Newton, senior jazz performance major, performed in agroup called Orchestra de Jose Quervo. He describes the forum this way, "It's a great workshop setting. I've learned a lot from the constructive criticism. " Dominguez adds, "The performances are taken very seriously. The class offers constructive criticism following the performances. The climate is respectful and the discourse is supportive. Generally, I think the forum has raised the standards of jazz performance for all the small ensembles. The surprise is that we had fourteen ensembles this semester. We usually have six-eight per semester. Also a surprise is the level of participation from students in our contemporary music division. The challenges for our faculty are growing as the numbers of students grow and the participation from our genres increases." Trumpeter Kevin Louis, senior jazz performance major, adds, "The Jazz Forum provides the opportunity to take your product and put it up in front of people in a safe but knowledgeable environment. That feedback is great. It's hard to see the picture if you're in the frame." "Fried Chicken" with Neal Creque
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