KinJia Wong

Last Saturday night, Burnett House transformed from a College House to a jazz club for Burnett Blues, a live jazz-fusion performance by a student ensemble complete with hors d’oeuvres and a mocktail bar. Students in semi-formal attire crowded in the Burnett common room to see the band perform, with Cris Arias ’29 on bass, Colson Bailey ’29 on drums, Nuer Bol ’29 on trombone, Vivian Ewell ’29 on vocals and Olin Johnson ’29 on keys.

The idea for a jazz night emerged during a House meeting, when Burnett residents considered how they could develop nighttime programming that aligned with their House identity. Hyun Kim ’29, a member of Burnett House and the event’s mocktail bartender, explained how the event created space for students who may not find their scene at the typical College House party.

“A big part of [the] College Houses is creating community for every student on campus,” Kim said. “And a big part of those programs [are] … house parties and athlete mixers…. Jazz night was how we were trying to [create] some opportunities for people who don’t enjoy traditional house parties to have a social scene … during the weekends.”

Johnson, a member of Burnett House and the jazz ensemble’s keyboardist, led the charge to assemble a group of performers by calling on friends and past collaborators. Arias, Ewell and Johnson initially met in Jazz Combos, a course they took during their first semester at Bowdoin. Having rehearsed together in the past, the three had an established musical rapport that proved helpful when putting a performance together on a tight timeline.

“It was a little chaotic because we were throwing things together in the moment,” Ewell said. “One thing that helped is that … we played together [in the past]. So that, for me, felt easier. I understand … what we need from each other when we’re performing.”

The band met for three rehearsals before the performance, totaling six hours in practice time for what would be a continuous two-hour set.

“We were worried about timing,” Ewell said. “Especially because we were doing more of a jazz set, one song could be a lot longer … if people were taking longer solos.

Without having played a full run-through of the setlist prior to the night of the performance, the musicians had to be prepared for constant adaptation.

“There was a fair amount of adjustment during the performance,” Johnson said. “I felt like the band had to confer before every song. Like, ‘Okay, we need this song. We need to drag this one out a little bit.’ Or, ‘That last one went on for too long, this one can be kind of trimmed down.’”

While the improvisational qualities of the jazz genre created logistical challenges, they also made for moments of musical magic.

“At the end of ‘Midnight Train to Georgia’ [by Gladys Knight & the Pips],  [Bol] and I had a really cool trading moment where we were playing off each other’s melodies, which I really love doing,” Ewell said. “It’s like you’re having a conversation with someone.”

Arias spotlighted “Impossible” by the Wasia Project, a quickly-building jazz-pop track, as a favorite to perform.

Reflecting on the night’s success, Johnson highlighted how Burnett Blues expanded on the typical live music events offered at Bowdoin by bringing jazz into a more casual space.

“In my time at Bowdoin, there [have been] very formal jazz performances, but I’ve never seen one that’s hosted by a College House on a weekend night,” Johnson said.

Similarly, Ewell highlighted how the setting offered a unique opportunity for the performers to connect with their audience.

“We’re gonna play the music that we really love playing and sharing with other people, and that’s … why people were there instead of another College House party,” Ewell said.

While the musicians weren’t part of an official student band prior to the event, Burnett Blues may not be the end for the ensemble. When asked whether the group would perform together again, Johnson affirmed their hopes for continued collaboration.

“I think it’s definitely in the cards. We’ve been talking about maybe some other performance opportunities that we’d love to do,” Johnson said.