Very Best of Hartt School on Display at Jazz Recital

By in Entertainment,

Managing Editor

The Hartt School hosted a vocal jazz recital Wednesday night at the Berkman Recital Hall. There were just about two hours of contemporary jazz music, with stunning vocal performances from six singers.

Various pianists, bassists, drummers, trumpeters, guitarists and horns backed up each vocalist.,The Hartt School hosted a vocal jazz recital Wednesday night at the Berkman Recital Hall. There were just about two hours of contemporary jazz music, with stunning vocal performances from six singers.

Various pianists, bassists, drummers, trumpeters, guitarists and horns backed up each vocalist. Rotating in their position, Matt Kos, Scott Packham and Sam Parker played the piano.

Ben Jenks, Rob Stragnell and Keith Simpsons were on bass; Jon Barber, Kevin Grossman and Dan Scozzari played drums; Josh Bruneau played the trumpet; Andy Sorensen played guitar; Jovan Alexandre, Raynel Frazier, Yunie Mojica and Jared Charette played various horns. The entire production was performed under the direction of Professor Shawn Monteiro.

Opening the show, Alex Godiksen performed five tunes; beginning with the "Wizard of Oz" classic song, "If I Only Had a Brain." His vocal ability is very reminiscent of contemporary jazz artists, like Michael Bublé.

Next on the stage, Aja Wilson, who performed four songs including a very good rendition of "Invitation." Her performance was great, but her duet performed later in the show was fantastic.

But before that, Margaret Fortunato wowed audiences with performances of four tracks, including "Beyond the Sea," the Bobby Darin classic. The version she performed was a much slower, intimate version of the song, which brought a fresh perspective to the song.

Wilson returned to the stage with Shenel Johns, and they performed what wasn't necessarily "jazz," but they did deliver on a great melody of "Green Eyes" and "Stolen Moments." This performance was one of the many showstoppers of the night, as Wilson and Johns hit perfect harmony while still managing to seem to improvise some of the intonation in their voices.

After that wowing performance, Johns remained on the stage to perform three other songs, including "Caravan," "Body and Soul," and "Spain." Her performance showcased her own vocal range on its own and it impressed audiences.

Alaina Duffy, a senior performing her last recital, performed another surreal rendition of Nat King Cole's "Unforgettable."

Finally, Tess Collins, another senior who would perform her last show, played a popular song called "I Only Have Eyes For You," composed by Harry Warren and Al Dubin. She closed out the show with a great rendition of "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby" made famous by Renee Olstead. Finally, the female vocalists all returned to the stage to perform an encore performance.

As good as the vocal performances that were on showcase Wednesday night, the instrumentalists were all fantastic. If the audience in Berkman Hall wasn't clapping for a fantastic performance by a vocalist, they were clapping for the great soloists.

Upcoming shows at the Hartt School include a collaboration between the Symphony Orchestra and Choruses and the New Haven Chorale called "Grant Us Peace." There will be a show April 30, at Bushnell's Belding Theater in Hartford and May 2 at Woolsey Hall in New Haven.

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