Motor City Success For the Oberlin Jazz Septet by Jonah Berman '03
			At the end of August, when most students were packing up their things and preparing to return to Oberlin, members of the Oberlin Jazz Septet (OJS) were already back on campus to rehearse for their first gig. During the first weekend of September, the OJS traveled west to the Detroit International Jazz Festival, to share the stage with some of the biggest names in jazz music today. "The festival puts these students in an urban setting in front of an educated audience," says Professor of Jazz Studies and Double Bass Peter Dominguez, who is also the group's coach. "OJS appeared on a professional stage that included performances from such jazz luminaries as D.D. Jackson and Roy Ayers. The students even got to hang out with some of their musical heroes after the performances were done." This year's OJS includes Courtney Bryan '04, from New Orleans, on piano; Nick Lyons '04 from Leonia, New Jersey, on alto saxophone; Jason McMahon '04, from Denver, Colorado, on guitar; Andreae Murchison '04, from Savannah, Georgia, on trombone; Kassa Overall '05, from Seattle, Washington, on drums; Stephen Wood '03, from Chicago, Illinois, on bass; and Josiah Woodson '03, from Oakland, California, on trumpet. The OJS will play several concerts local during the next two months, and will tour the South during Winter Term. "The trip was a great educational experience," says Courtney Bryan, a junior from New Orleans and the septet's pianist. "We got to perform on the second largest stage at the festival, and we received a warm response from the audience. It was also fun to hear artists like Branford Marsalis and Geri Allen. I think we did a good job of showing what jazz at Oberlin is all about." This is the fourth time that the OJS has performed at the Detroit festival, and by all measures, it was a huge success. The group was judged on improvisation, musicality, program, time and rhythm, intonation, and overall presentation. Out of a possible 100 points, the two judges gave the OJS scores of 100 and 115. In addition to their high scores, there were other aspects of the trip that made it well worth the drive. Members of the OJS are nominated by their studio jazz teachers to participate in the group, which is formed each spring semester. The group performs frequently throughout the following year--on and off campus--playing its own compositions and original arrangement of jazz standards.
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