by Max Newman
Oberlin Conservatory’s jazz department has a storied and star-studded history, with alumni such as pianist Sullivan Fortner, trumpeter Theo Croker, and violinist Jenny Scheinman, as well as a faculty that includes saxophonist Gary Bartz, an NEA Jazz Master and two-time Grammy winner. There is clearly a pipeline of talent here that has not ended, as heard at the Oberlin Small Jazz Ensembles concert on November 19.
This was clearly a display of possible future stars. However, what was really striking was how each ensemble worked as a group to create distinct atmospheres and feelings. There was the emotionally intimate Gabi Allemana Ensemble, whose gorgeous arrangements filled the room with bliss, sadness, longing, contemplativeness, and everything in between. There was the playful, organ-centric Ori Josell Ensemble, who, even in the absence of their saxophone player, managed to get the audience on the edge of their seats with a series of arrangements impossible not to bob your head to. There was also the ragtime- and New Orleans jazz-inspired Colin Leonard Ensemble, whose energetic performances closing out the night felt celebratory.