Jazz Combos Showcase the Art of Improvisation, Musical Mastery

The USU Department of Music is inviting the community and students to an evening of jazz at Jazz Combos, a diverse repertoire of classic jazz standards and innovative arrangements. This event will be at 7:30 p.m. March 19 in the Russell/Wanlass Performance Hall.

Under the guidance of USU’s jazz faculty, including professors Braun Khan, Max Matzen and Andrew Stonerock, student musicians will bring their creativity and technical skills to life in a dynamic concert experience.

“Groups will be performing 2-4 tunes from the standard jazz repertoire,” said Braun Khan, associate professor of professional practice in jazz studies and double bass. “Often, the groups perform original arrangements or arrangements based on classic recordings.”

A key component of jazz education is the study of its recorded history and foundational repertoire.

“As directors, we try to find the right balance of tunes that are important for students to be familiar with and that are appropriate for their skill level,” Khan said.

The Jazz Combos program at USU fosters both individual growth and ensemble collaboration. Faculty members play an essential role in guiding students through the selection of pieces and refining their performance techniques.

“Professors Matzen, Stonerock and I help the students by guiding the selection of tunes that the groups will play, assisting them in coming up with workable arrangements and giving them helpful feedback on ways that they can raise the level of their performance as a group and as individuals,” Khan said.

Each Jazz Combos concert is a unique experience, reflecting the students’ evolving artistry and the fluid nature of jazz itself.

“Each concert is unique in that the groups are developing their skills and in the creative application of their jazz knowledge,” Khan said. “It’s always fun to see what tunes and arrangements each group has been working on, and I’m excited to see the program that all the groups have assembled.”

The concert will highlight the increasing level of musicianship among USU’s jazz students. According to Khan, this year there are several students who have been performing for a few years, elevating the overall level of performance.

“I’ve really been impressed by the way they are initiating tune and arrangement ideas, and their personal drive is inspiring to see.” Khan said. “Jazz tunes are often very technical, so playing them demands a high level of proficiency on one’s instrument, and that pushes the students to develop their skills.”

One of the biggest challenges for the students is performing from memory.

“Memorizing tunes and arrangements — especially if there’s a wide variety of tunes and styles — can be challenging,” Khan said. “But it’s one of the important skills that a jazz musician needs to develop: the ability to learn and memorize music quickly.”

For many students, these performances serve as both a test and a milestone in their musical journeys.

“These performances give us benchmarks to strive toward in our development,” Khan said. “There’s nothing like a performance to force you to get things together, and it’s really a test of their preparation process.”

The concert will also reflect jazz’s evolving nature — paying tribute to tradition while embracing modern influences.

“The music is always trying to find a balance between honoring the past and continuing to move the music forward,” Khan said. “These concerts are great pictures of that because students are learning the jazz tradition and then also trying to put their own spin on it. That’s how the music develops.”

Jazz has played a pivotal role in Khan’s own musical journey, inspiring his passion for the genre from a young age. Beyond music, Khan believes jazz teaches valuable life lessons.

“Learning to set goals and work hard at something that’s not always intuitive and easy, and then when it comes time to perform, learning to let go of judgmental thoughts and make the best music you can at your current skill level — there are a lot of applications to those skills that go beyond music,” Khan said.

Ultimately, Khan finds joy in witnessing students develop confidence through their hard work.

“I particularly love it when someone who was initially intimidated by trying to learn jazz has a successful performance and gains confidence in their ability to learn and grow,” he said. “That’s a beautiful thing.”

For more information about Jazz Combos, visit the online calendar. Purchase tickets online or at the CCA box office located in the Chase Fine Arts Center.