By Kelli Henderson/entertainment editor

As he does every semester, NW music instructor Richard Powell has put together a group of faculty to play in a jazz concert this semester.

With NE adjunct Lou Carfa on bass, NW adjunct Joe Carpenter on drums and NW adjunct Mario Cruz on saxophone, the group will play at 7 p.m. Sept. 18 in the NW Recital Hall (WFAB 1105).

Though a theme is not planned at this time, Carfa said Powell usually has an idea about the variety of music they will play.

“He might say we’re going to do the music of Cole Porter, we’re gonna do Miles Davis or Bill Evans,” Carfa said. “Or sometimes it might be loose, or he might ask, ‘What tunes does everyone want to do?’”

Having been in numerous concerts in the past, Carfa knows the drill of playing improv songs and performing on the fly after only an hour of practice.

“He [Powell] will call me and say, ‘Hey, we’re gonna do a concert at such and such date,’” Carfa said.

Even though they only practice an hour ahead of time, Powell said the artists rely on their knowledge of the basic jazz styles.

“We all know like a million tunes, so we might just get there and say, ‘Hey, we need a good up-tempo jazz tune or Latin tune,” Carfa said.

Students who want a better understanding of jazz would appreciate this concert, Powell said. He hopes students can walk away with a new and growing recognition for the art form of jazz.

Though the group improvises, that does not mean they are not prepared. Some have been preparing for 20 years, Carpenter said.

“I hope they [students] hear some styles they are not already familiar with,” Carpenter said in an email. “In addition, I hope the same for this audience as I do for all live music audiences: that they realize, appreciate and enjoy that these are real people who have dedicated a large portion of their life to learning the craft of making organized noise to be enjoyed as art and/or entertainment for both themselves and anyone who might listen … and for the benefit of their letter grade in any course that might have concert attendance requirements!”

Carfa said he thinks students should come to the concert because many do not know what real jazz is, how it works or what it sounds like and are unfamiliar with improvisation.

“Some people have a pretty skewed version of what jazz is, and normally what we play is pretty traditional jazz,” Carfa said. “It’s what they call bebop, and so I think they would come and get a flavor of this jazz style, and also they’d get a sense of what really good musicians we have at TCC.”

The concert is free. For more information, contact Powell at richard.powell@tccd.edu.