Annual Big Band Extravaganza comes to MAC

Narrator Dick Bishop has seen a lot of jazz ensembles, but said this year’s group might be the best he’s seen.\n“I’ve been doing this gig for over 20 years, and I’ve never heard the bands as good as they are this year,” he said during Saturday’s Big Band Extravaganza, held at the Musical Arts Center.\nThe performance, titled “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” featured the jazz ensembles of David Baker and Patrick Harbison.\nBaker, a professor of music, echoed Bishop’s thoughts after the show. \n“These are the two best bands we’ve ever had,” he said. “The music was strong, and I thought everyone played really well ... I think the people enjoyed it tonight.”\nIt wasn’t just the music quality fueling Baker’s enthusiasm for the performance, however. For him, swing music is also about reviving the past. \n“It’s a step back in time,” Baker said. “All of a sudden, we’re back in the ’40s.”\nGuest vocalists Everett Greene and Delores King Williams joined the two bands for several classic numbers. Even at intermission, the two singers had already left a positive impression on audience members.\n“They were great,” said Anton Stolwijk, an exchange student completing a two-month journalism program. “The man was very old school and had a very sexy voice, and the woman was really cool, too.”\nSophomore Nathan Bower-Bir was equally delighted with the two vocalists, as well as with the band as a whole. \n“I’m really impressed ... Both of them are excellent, and I’m really glad they’re both here,” he said. “It’s been a fantastic show so far, and I’m really looking forward to the second half.”\nThe show’s second half, much like the first, featured renditions of timeless standards, such as Tommy Dorsey’s “Loose Lid Special,” and Glenn Miller’s “In the Mood.” The final two numbers of the performance, however, rose above as a fitting culmination to an exciting night of swing music.\nThe first, a stripped-down cover of Duke Ellington’s “Squeeze Me” provided a perfect platform for Greene and Williams to showcase their musical chemistry. The second, a bombastic version of Benny Goodman’s famous “Sing, Sing, Sing,” brought both bands together for an intense and swinging climax.\nThe standing ovation after the finale served as a fitting summary to the crowd’s attitude throughout the night. Williams said it best after completing her first two numbers.\n“You are some of the warmest people I’ve ever performed for,” she said.