Tucked away in the corner of the senior section, Sam Watson ’17 is furiously typing on his clunky Asus computer. One would expect a busy Lick-Wilmerding student to be writing an essay or studying for a test during a free block. Watson is doing neither of these things. The senior is adding to his growing portfolio of jazz songs he has transcribed by ear using the computer program, Musescore. Although Watson has played the tenor saxophone in Lick’s music program since freshman year, he discovered his passion for transcribing music this year. Sam is one of the many innovative thinkers that make up the Lick-Wilmerding Advanced Jazz Combo.
There are unique qualities about the people who comprise Jazz Combo. This year’s combo consists of four sophomores, four juniors and five seniors. “It’s exciting to see creativity and passion from all grade levels,” Martha Stoddard, Chair of the Performing Arts Department and Music teacher, exclaims. The band is comprised of four saxophone players, a trumpet player, a pianist, two bassists, two guitarists, a flutist, a drummer, and a tabla player. Most jazz groups include trombonists and max out at one guitarist and bassist. Other than Ron Burgundy and Herbie Mann, it is difficult to think of jazz flutists.
In the Big Band, Stoddard chooses four to six structured ensemble songs that include one to two improvisational opportunities per song. The Advanced Jazz Combo is where musicians take their musical talent to the next level. “Combo distinguishes itself by its ability to work independently, contribute music suggestions and have a strong sense of rehearsal process,” Stoddard says. In addition, Combo is the only music class that is a PPP course. The band has already played gigs at the Veteran’s Hospital, St. Anthony’s Soup Kitchen, and the Howth Street Block Party. Those who take the class appreciate that the Combo provides a respite to the academically rigorous nature of Lick-Wilmerding.
George Dicke ’17 is the jazz flutist for the Jazz Combo. Before he called himself a jazz flutist, he was one of four flute players in Chamber Orchestra freshman year. Dicke quickly realized that “the large ensemble felt too restrictive; I had little chance to cultivate my creativity.” At the end of freshman year, Dicke was excited to bring his flute chops and a unique sound to the Big Band. Although the transition challenged Ms. Stoddard to create flute parts, Dicke embraced the opportunity to improvise, balancing his quieter flute sound with a contingent of booming trumpets and saxophones to collaborate with musicians from all grades. “A proven leader of people,” Stoddard remarks.
When asked about his favorite memories in the jazz band, Dicke says “there are two that I’ll one day pass on to my grandchildren. First, my twelve bar solo on Pacific Coast Highway sophomore year in front of the entire school. Second, squeaking out two solos when feeling feverish with mono during a spring concert.” In college, Dicke hopes to learn saxophone and build on his percussion skills. He has not ruled out playing in a marching band if he attends a Pac-12 school.
Dicke’s fellow senior, horn player Sam Watson ’17, has also been a leader and mentor to the young combo through his superb sense of rhythm and improvisational abilities on the tenor saxophone. The four year veteran emerged from Big Band to be the combo’s lead saxophonist. Over the course of his many years with the Big Band and Advanced Combo, Watson has had many adventures, from accidentally leaving his horn at school while on the band’s tour of LA to transcribing his favorite songs to actually playing them with the band. Starting this school year, Watson experimented with arranging songs for the band when he transcribed by ear the song, “Kaleidoscope” by BadBadNotGood. After playing “Kaleidoscope” at the Student Art Showcase, Watson had no hesitation in transcribing more of his favorite songs, drawing heavily from BadBadNotGood. What was once an unexplored curiosity has developed into a passion that Sam spends his free time doing. In Watson’s opinion, “If you’re thinking about music, you might as well play some.” As of recently, he has transcribed the songs, “Confessions,” “DMZ,” and “WEIGHT OFF,” which the Combo hopes to perform at the spring Jazz concert. Watson intends to continue playing both the saxophone and piano after high school.
The future of the Advanced Combo’s horn section is comprised of juniors, Alex Martinez ’18, Sean Laidlaw ’18, Ruby Pincus- Landau ’18, and sophomore, Henry Stiepleman ’19. Beginning in Big Band as a freshman and subsequently jumping up to the Advanced Combo, Laidlaw brings his many years of experience with the saxophone to the group. Playing both the alto and soprano saxophones, Laidlaw has learned to traverse and improvise on the two at a high level. Coming up from Intro to Instrumental Music to join his fellow junior, Martinez has been flexible and quick in making his way through the ranks. At concerts, he can often be seen switching between the three saxophones he plays. Pincus-Landau brings her extensive knowledge of music theory and rhythm to the Combo. As the solo trumpet, Ruby finds herself in an unique position, and she has successfully navigated this challenge. Reflecting on the role music has played in her life, Pincus- Landau says, “music has played an important role in my upbringing. It has served as a creative outlet for me.” Stiepleman, a sophomore, has proven to be a confident and excellent improviser with the saxophone and already takes initiative in the band to help arrange pieces such as “Sandu” by Clifford Brown.
Tabla prodigy Arjun Shah ’17 adds a unique sound to the band. At first, “Arjun challenged me to find a way to bring tablas into the jazz band” says Ms. Stoddard. However, Arjun found his home playing alongside talented musicians in the Advanced Combo, after being promoted from Big Band sophomore year. Stoddard remarks, “It’s been amazing for the band to embrace the tablas and to explore the intersection of the traditional tabla playing with American and Latin jazz.” Now in his third and final year of Combo, Arjun has taken on playing all sorts of percussion instruments along with improving his sound tabla skills. Considering there aren’t many tabla players to look up to in jazz, Arjun assures me that he has gained invaluable confidence from his musical career at Lick-Wilmerding.
The Combo is also unique because two guitarists and two bassists collaborate together in a thirteen piece band. Senior veterans, Matt Clifford ’17 and Omar Aleman ‘17 team up with underclassmen Nate Pola ’19 and Elliot Rosenberg ’19 to form a quartet that defies grade barriers.
Although all members of the rhythm section display leadership qualities, Matt Clifford ’17 is the vocal leader of the band. Before he aspired to be a guitarist as a career, Clifford recalls that he “was forced to take up music [by his parents].” Soon after choosing electric guitar as his instrument, he found inspiration from guitar legend Santana. Clifford fell in love with playing on the fly and communicating with a community of musicians outside of Lick. Clifford joined the Big Band his junior year, and immediately took on as many solos as Ms. Stoddard would allow him to play. Clifford was a phenomenal fit for the the improv culture of the Advanced Combo. He often leads jam sessions with fellow Combo members during lunches. He has also helped fellow guitarist, Nate Pola ’19, expand his knowledge on chord progressions to create astounding solos. A few of Clifford’s most memorable performances are singing “I Shot the Sheriff” at the fall Club Fair and electrifying the theatre with an unforgettable solo during the Chamber Orchestra, Big Band and Advanced Combo’s joint performance of Oyo Como Va during the Performing Arts showcase. “He knows so many jazz songs, and loves jazz. He is an enthusiastic player and has done amazing work here” Stoddard remarks.
The other senior in the Advanced Jazz band is bassist Omar Aleman ’17. He picked up a bass for the first time as a freshman in the beginner Intro to Instrumental Music class. After developing his ability to walk the bass line in the Big Band sophomore and junior year, Aleman made it a priority to improve his ability to create music from scratch. Aleman plays challenging bass parts in Sam Watson’s arrangement of Kaleidoscope, and he jams with other Combo members at club fair, TGIF and at other school sponsored events. Aleman has formed a rock solid bass duo with Elliot Rosenberg ’19, a sophomore who did well enough in Intro to Instrumental Music to leapfrog Big Band and cement his place in the Combo. The Swiss Army knife of the band, Rosenberg splits time learning the standup bass, jamming on the electric piano and slapping the bass. Rosenberg is even taking advantage of his superior woodworking skills to build his own bass. Drummer Cy Thompson ’19 and pianist Maya John ’18 are both first year members of the Combo and make up the heart of the rhythm section. Known for sporting Led Zepplin tshirts and his signature green Tulane hat, Thompson tackles numerous solos and will drum on nearly every song this upcoming concert. John will put her extensive experience singing to the test when she sings at the April 28th concert, the chorus of the song “Angel Eyes.” She will team up with Elliot Rosenberg to perform a difficult keyboard solo on Snarky Puppy’s “Quarter Master.”
This year’s Combo includes only three members from the 2015- 2016 Combo: Sean Laidlaw ’18, Arjun Shah ’17 and Sam Watson ’17. “There is so much new blood this year” Shah points out. Last year, Eytan Schillinger-Hyman ’16 and Gabriel Schillinger- Hyman ’16 were instrumental and took last year’s band to new heights. They wrote original pieces and created otherworldly solos on a variety of instruments. This year, Eytan has returned as an unofficial Teaching Assistant (TA) to help run rehearsals, mentor the rhythm section and teach Rosenberg to play the standup bass. Inspired by two of the most musically gifted individuals to ever attend Lick-Wilmerding, Watson and Clifford have taken the initiative to produce, transcribe and perform original songs. And they are only two members of a Lick community that continues creating music.
Steve Horowitz, professional composer and father of Phin Horowitz ’19, was invited by Ms. Stoddard to arrange a song for the Big Band and Advanced Combo to play together at the Spring concert. Horowitz found inspiration for the piece from innovative jazz composer: Sun Ra, who renamed himself a er the Egyptian God of the Son. Horowitz has taken elements of Sun Ra’s Brainville to assemble a unique, experimental and improvisational suite that has a extraterrestrial feel. Stoddard explains that this is only Horowitz and the Lick’s jazz program’s “get acquainted year.” Next year, Horowitz will return to write a whole piece from scratch, “we are going where no Lick band has gone before,” Horowitz states in an email to Ms. Stoddard.
While musicians agree that the Advanced Combo helped them cultivate their own creativity, musicians have ambitions they do have some suggestions on how the music program could be improved. Thompson thinks that “jazz is important but I think it would be awesome if we had a broader range of music we could choose to play.” Additionally, Clifford believes that “if there is more of an emphasis on creativity and improvisation, people would want to play music outside of school more and it would foster a better culture.”
Even though there are a few changes musicians think could be made to the music program at Lick, Stoddard confirms that “musicians are thriving here.” Through generations, the music room during H Block continues to operate as a force of creation.
The Spring Jazz Concert takes place on Friday April 28th at 7:30pm at the Ehrer Theatre. $5 for students, $7 for adults.
co-written by George Dicke ’17 and Alex Martinez ’18.
Wonderful article! I loved hearing all that is behind the jazz concert – I’ll look for it all when I see the concert…is it this weekend? George, as your grandma, I am ridiculously proud. Hope you continue playing the flute, and hope you “graduate” to the sax. hugs, grandma