On April 10, VSO School of Music students put on an incredible jazz performance, The Rising Stars of Jazz, at The Playhouse. We are happy to share a review of the show published in La Scena (original link here). Thank you to Madeline Boldt, the author, for a wonderful review of the evening!

Review | VSO School of Music Presents the Future of Jazz

Alto saxophonists with the group Tues 7:30 pm w/ James. Photo: Madeline Boldt

The VSO School of Music fosters the future of jazz, and this talent was on full display at the Vancouver Playhouse on April 10th. The Rising Stars of Jazz was an incredible blend of jazz combos and big band performances, with a common thread: these young musicians demonstrated incredible skill and passion that transcended all expectations of a youth ensemble. Featuring artists as young as eighth grade, the sound created by each ensemble was rich, dynamic, and full of personality.

One of many things that these young musicians had to offer was a sense of fun, from their funky group names to the satisfied grins on their faces following each solo.

Leo Teixeira. Photo: Madeline Boldt

The first group called themselves Undecided Platypus, six talented young musicians whose rendition of Devil May Care was jaw-dropping. The vocals were performed by Leo Teixeira, who doubled as pianist, and his skill in both realms did not disappoint. His keyboard talent was amply demonstrated in The Falcon Will Fly Again by Brad Mehldau with its incredibly intricate piano line. As an ensemble, Undecided Platypus effectively set a strong tone for the rest of the evening.

The combo that followed was called Guitar Case, a group of slightly younger musicians who were equally fun to watch and easy to listen to.

Next up was Tues 7:30 pm w/ James, who apparently missed the memo about picking a creative name. Their coach James Danderfer said that the lack of creativity ended there, and he could not have been more right. Their rendition of Song For Horace by Michael Philip Mossman, a piece written for legendary pianist Horace Silver, showed off the group’s excellent rhythm, alongside the strength of their two alto saxophone players, Zachary Simpson and Kevin Kwok.

Jimmy Lee. Photo: Madeline Boldt

I was pleasantly surprised to see a group made up exclusively of women and non-binary individuals, the Jazz Orcas, whose name is a nod to the rarity of marginalized genders in the craft. Their set began with a beautiful bossa nova composition, Corcovado, by Antônio Carlos Jobim. The gentle flow of Jobim’s music complemented the vocalist’s tone exquisitely. Their voice is one that was undeniably made for jazz.

Corcovado also featured pianist Allison Louis who offered a beautiful and romantic interpretation of the song’s intro. The group followed this up with the timeless swing standard Lady Be Good, written by the Gershwins and made famous by Ella Fitzgerald. This piece kicked off with an excellent performance by drummer Paloma DeLisle, whose sparkly jumpsuit was almost as striking as her performance.

Quinn MacDonald. Photo: Madeline Boldt

The final combo, The Daycrawlers, kicked off with Little B’s Poem by Bobby Hutcherson, a mellow, expressive piece in waltz time with a memorable performance by Quinn MacDonald on the vibraphone. The next song, Passion Fruit by Ronnie Cuber, was a groovy piece driven by baritone saxophonist Cannon Mulder. This combo marked an excellent finish to the small group portion of the show; now it was onto the VSO School of Music Big Band.

The Big Band played a total of five songs, three of which were composed by A.K. Salim. Despite this, there was no risk of sameness as each piece demonstrated the strengths of each element of the ensemble: Congo Mulence featured bold melodies, Oyeme highlighted layered rhythms, and Blues a la Machito’s emphasized a brass-heavy sound.

The VSO School of Music Big Band. Photo: Madeline Boldt

During the final two pieces, Blues and la Machito and Groove Merchant, the Big Band was joined by iconic saxophonist and impresario Cory Weeds. Hearing him accompanied by this incredible ensemble was a stark reminder of the present and the future of the craft.

These budding artists are mentored by incredible musicians Jodi Proznick, James Danderfer, and Bill Coon, and seeing them playing alongside Weeds, under Danderfer’s baton, was a reminder of how integral mentorship is in the journey of a young musician. These rising stars are going places—don’t be surprised if this isn’t the last time you hear their names.