Blue Night Band Competes at Boston Jazz Festival

On January 31, eight members of the Blue Night Band, Xavier’s marquee jazz ensemble, traveled to Boston to compete in the prestigious Berklee High School Jazz Festival. Hosted by the Berklee College of Music, the band competed against more than 100 high schools from throughout the United States. This was the fourth year in a row that Xavier attended this festival.

The Blue Night Band played several compositions they had rehearsed over many hours leading up to the competition. Their repertoire included Wayne Shorter’s “Witchhunt,” Freddie Hubbard’s “Red Clay,” and the standard “Autumn Leaves.” The ensembles’ dueling alto and tenor saxophones were accompanied by virtuosic trumpets, guitars, and drums, and the bass and drums offered a rhythmic backbone. Each group was evaluated by a group of four adjudicators drawn from the faculty of Berklee College, and their critiques offered valuable insight on the Blue Night Band’s present strengths and the ways in which it can improve. The judges also gave out individual awards, including one to Alejandro Pavon ’16, who was honored with the Judges' Choice award (given to the player whom the judges believe to be the most outstanding musician in each group).

Band director Dr. William Pace was pleased by how the Xavier ensemble performed, both for their musicianship and for what each band member gained from participating. “Each year we participate offers motivation to improve individually and collectively,” he said. “It is also satisfying to be recognized for what we’ve accomplished thus far.”

Be on the lookout for more Blue Night Band updates in the future!