Enjoying the Music of UCI Jazz

Courtesy of Lilly Ball

The UCI Jazz Small Groups concert kicked off Wednesday night with cheers and shouts from an enthusiastic crowd of jazz fans and students alike. The concert, which featured three combo groups of students led by faculty members, was held in the packed Winifred Smith Hall and displayed the immense talent of the jazz students of the UCI Music Department.

Student Gabe Mallari, who played both the electric bass and upright bass within the groups, has only been playing the latter for about 10 weeks, yet was amazing at both. He unleashed several incredible electric bass solos, all while dancing and bobbing his head, evoking applause and cheers  each time.

“There is no feeling that can come close to comparing to how I feel performing,” Mallari said. “There is nothing else on my mind except the music in front of me. It’s an intense rush of focus that literally blocks any thoughts from floating into my head. Because of that, whenever I perform, I’m not worrying or stressing about anything; as a result, I enjoy my time on stage.”

Posted Date: 
Monday, February 26, 2018