The rhythm section locks into a blues groove, and suddenly the humid South Texas air feels a little lighter. For three days every October, Heritage Park transforms into a sprawling showcase of brass and blues. Yet, behind the scenes, some of the musicians are not just touring professionals, they are local college students.
“With orchestra music, it’s more restricted,” said Del Mar College tenor trombonist, David Hernandez. “But with jazz, there’s technically no rules if you know what you’re doing.”
The love of jazz is what brings together the community and artists at the Texas Jazz Festival, scheduled for Oct. 16-18. As the longest running free jazz festival in the United States, the event is a live testing ground for Del Mar’s music program, an institution woven directly into the festival’s history. For these student performers, stepping onto one of the three massive outdoor stages is the ultimate midterm exam. It forces them to bridge the gap between classroom music theory and three days of non-stop, unfiltered public jazz performance.
The historical ties between the college and the festival run deep.
“The Texas Jazz Festival actually started on our campus as a student jam session,” explained Donald Pinson, DMC Professor of Trombone and Low Brass. A campus jazz club grew so large it eventually moved out of the school auditorium and into a massive citywide event. Decades later, that legacy is carried forward by current Jazz Band Director Abel Ramirez, who relies on Ponson to run specialized improv labs.
“When you hear them improve… it makes you feel good that they’re feeling better about themselves,” Ramirez said.
However, applying classroom preparation to an outdoor festival involves different artistic decisions. Jazz double bass player Diego Guzman provides a somewhat different perspective by emphasizing that today’s line-ups involve more funk, reggae, and ska than pure jazz. The reason for Guzman is the fragmented state of the local jazz music scene, which makes the creation of stage chemistry rather challenging. Still, the exciting social atmosphere motivates him to visit the festival again. “I always have a good time there,” Guzman said.
For student performers like Hernandez who have been around for a while, the initial fear of soloing has become a natural thing. He remembers how hard it was to practice playing through chord changes to make the performance sound natural. When the solo hits its target perfectly, all the limitations of written music disappear instantly.
“It’s the best feeling you [could ever imagine],” Hernandez said. “You just feel like ecstasy.”
The Del Mar College Jazz Band will perform on the North Stage from 4:45-6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18. Their concert will culminate in an incredible Latin percussion session with guest musician, Lalo Davila, but they will also be joined by other guest artists. Pinson added that new attendees should carry sunscreen and bring an appetite for all the food vendors at the festival.
