Spring Break
SEAL's Down Under entertainment: Jazz Jams
Phil Hass
Issue date: 9/24/08 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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The Executive Tea Set, a jazz band made of the talent in Madison, played to a packed house of students, faculty and staff. With constantly changing rhythms and styles, the Executive Tea Set kept everyone nodding their heads and tapping their feet all through their inspired performance.
The environment of the Down Under also adds a lot to the feel and enjoyment of the music. With such well played music coming from the stage, images of the 1920s and 30s seemed alive that night. With the lights set low and everyone's eyes stuck to the stage, the Executive Tea Set hit the floor fast and hard.
The Executive Tea Set is made up of four members, all very accomplished and extensively trained musicians. With piano, drums, an upright bass and a vibraphone, the band locked seamlessly and played back and forth continuously, with one member taking the lead after the other on almost every song.
The band also provided entertainment between songs by making bad jokes and discussing the next song with one another. While their covers were all well played, it was the Executive Tea Set's originals that really lit the place up. Swinging effortlessly between slow beats and up tempo dance, everyone enjoyed the performances and clapped and cheered at the end of each song.
One of the last songs The Executive Tea Set played, titled "Spy," was something straight out of a James Bond film and definitely gave the feeling of danger and espionage. Earlier in the set they began to make strange and ethereal noises with their instruments, almost giving the mental image of sounds you would hear in a haunted house.
Another important piece of the evening was after The Executive Tea Set finished their performance. The student-run Jazz Jam took place immediately afterwards, and with the student house band playing with anyone brave enough to venture onstage, everyone was still having a great time.
Music professor Matt Sintchak was there with a lot of his students, all of whom seemed to be enjoying the band but eagerly awaiting their chance to get onstage and show off their own talent.
"We're going to try to do this about every other week," Sintchak said. "Having professional acts come to Whitewater and play won't be as common, maybe once or twice a semester, but the student Jazz Jams will be here."
Junior Dennis Ancevic was at the Down Under for the Jazz Jam. "I thought the band was great, but I'm really here to see the students," Ancevic said.
With the "house band" onstage, any student who wanted to could come up with their instrument and play along with one another. "It was like a new band every time," Ancevic said. "I'm definitely going to come to more of these."
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