Jazz artists entertain, delight crowd

Jazz from Bloomington" played to a partially filled auditorium at Bloomington High School North Monday night. The audience ranged from children to senior citizens, all gathered to hear performers Bob Dorough and Janet Lawson.\nMany were devoted jazz fans, while others had come to hear Dorough play his famous "Conjunction Junction," which he wrote for ABC's program School House Rock in the 1970s. Others came to see Lawson, a Grammy nominee who was beaten out by Ella Fitzgerald. The broad range of people who had come matched the broad range of talents displayed throughout the evening. \nFor three hours, Dorough, Lawson and various artists delivered a wonderful performance of songs ranging from the fast-paced "Too Much Coffee Man" to the more mellow tune "Moon River." Throughout the show, it was obvious the audience was delighted by the charisma and energy of Lawson and Dorough.\nThe artists from Jazz from Bloomington sang with Dorough on the piano, or in a group with Lawson. Monika Herzig played the piano several times for Lawson as she sang such songs as "I've Got Rhythm." Herzig was just one example of the exceptional talent exhibited by the Bloomington jazz community. Jack Helsley played the bass fantastically, while Pete Wilhoit performed exceptionally on the drums. Janice Jaffe gave a stunning performance of "Small Day Tomorrow," while the song "Angel Eyes" was sung by a velvet-voiced alto named Cathy Spiaggia. Several other talents were included in a production of "Route 66." Stephanie Knox gave a show-stopping performance of "All of Me." Knox was an excellent performer whose animation and talent were a pleasure to watch and hear.\nThe sponsors of the night's events included Border's Books and Music, Classical Film and Music, Smithville Phone Company and others. Borders had set up a table of jazz music and literature during the intermission.\nDorough and Lawson were talented musicians. They were comfortable, but at the same time exciting. Lawson is extremely gifted in range and variance vocally. She is exceptionally animated and fun to watch. Her version of "Devil May Care" was creative and energetic.\nDorough was a relaxed and mellow performer. He was easy to listen to and had a personable style about his singing. He talked about working with School House Rock and encouraged the audience to sing with him.\nDorough was an amazing pianist and is an even more creative songwriter. This was clear in his style and humor with his works. Dorough sang some of his comic works, "Too Much Coffee Man" and "Love," both of which were big hits with the audience.\nOverall, the evening was indeed a hit. Between the local talents and the artists Dorough and Lawson, the show was a magnificent example of vocal and instrumental jazz.