Saxophonist, 3 Jacobs School jazz musicians to play at Serendipity

As patrons of Serendipity Martini Bar sip their drinks Thursday, they will be soothed by the suave sound of the tenor saxophone.

Saxophonist Sophie Faught and three Jacobs School of Music jazz musicians, Max Maples, Jeff McLaughlin and Nick Tucker, will be performing at 7 p.m.

Faught, who has been playing the saxophone for 13 years, formed the group eight months ago. She said her initiative behind its formation was geared toward something not typically found in an academic musical group.

“I wanted to create a positive environment for making and listening to music, where there isn’t an authority figure like a professor might be,” Faught said.

As the bandleader, Faught does have some artistic decision-making power, but she said she wants to collaborate with the other group members as well. Maples, McLaughlin and Tucker are all current graduate students at the Jacobs School. Faught chose them because she said she thought they would be interested in creating soulful and energetic music.

Tucker, a first year graduate student in jazz studies, plays double bass for the group. He said the collaborative aspect of the group is beneficial to all four musicians.

“It has proven to be a good outlet for my creativity,” Tucker said. “She picks most of the tunes and writes most of the arrangements that we play, but we rehearse weekly to make sure everyone is in agreement about our creative direction.”

That direction is centered on Faught’s focus on emotion and appealing to the audience. She said her love for the tenor saxophone lies in the tone’s similarity to the human voice, something she said allows the music to speak to those who hear it.

“When you play it, its almost like you’re a singer,” Faught said. “It allows the audience to make a connection with the music.”

In the fifth grade, Faught said she first became connected to music when she tried out for her elementary school’s band. The band director urged her to play the clarinet, but Faught said she repeatedly refused, insisting on the saxophone, because of its sound.

The saxophone’s song also spoke to Tammy Schoch of Serendipity Martini Bar.

Schoch said she was not only interested in having Faught perform because she was a young woman with a lot of talent, but also because of the quiet, smooth sound of Faught’s combo that works well with the environment of Serendipity.

Faught spoke of her music as a living thing, something that should be respected and loved.

She ensured the crowd can expect very exciting, inventive and powerful music that will move them on an emotional level. This sound will ring through the dining room at Serendipity as Faught’s fingers press the brass buttons to create notes that sing out of the saxophone’s bell. 

“I want the music to speak to the audience and breathe,” Faught said. “When playing, I hope it has an authentic, sincere voice.”