Jazz Is Coming to USU With Special Guest Performances

LOGAN, Utah — The USU Department of Music is inviting the community and students to the first Jazz Jams session of the semester. This event will fill TSC HUB with vibrant music for two hours beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29.

The focus of these sessions is for jazz students to perform standard jazz repertoire and develop the skills to improve on the spot without any rehearsal, which is a key ability jazz musicians need to develop.

“These jam sessions create an environment for students to test out what they’ve been working on in the practice room in a live performance setting, and this method of learning and developing your abilities through playing at jam sessions is an important part of the jazz tradition,” said Associate Professor of Professional Practice Braun Kahn.

Braun Khan is an assistant professor of double bass and jazz studies at USU. He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in bass performance from Central Michigan University, and a Doctorate of Arts in Jazz Studies and Bass Performance from the University of Northern Colorado. Khan has been at USU for eight years, bringing special guests to perform at these jam sessions for students to collaborate with.

The guests this semester are

• Saxophonist Jake Saslow.
• Director of jazz studies from Idaho State University Jon Armstrong.
• Guitarist Nathan Royal.

“They are all phenomenal. Jake was originally from New York and recently relocated to Salt Lake City. He tours regularly with Micheal Bublé and is a great musician and educator,” Khan said. “Jon was previously performing in Los Angeles and is a super creative musician, and Nathan is from Salt Lake City who plays various acoustic styles and is also one of the lead musicians in a collective that’s getting a lot of traction called Hot House West.”

Khan has been emphasizing this opportunity for his jazz students in creating personal connections with these artists who will expand their professional network.

“All of the artists give a clinic for our music students prior to the jam session where they cover a range of topics from honing your skills to navigating life as a professional musician,” Khan said.

This spring semester is some fourth-year students’ last performances at Jazz Jams, many of them having participated since they were first-years.

“It’s awesome to see their growth and exciting to see them step into a new season of their musical life, but it’s sad to see them go,” Khan said. “They become a big part of the culture of the program, but as they move forward, it creates opportunities for new student leaders to step in and contribute to the further development of a positive and inspiring community of jazz musicians at USU.”

These jam sessions are meant to be casual and fun. It’s a supportive environment but also holds the musicians to a high standard. Musicians perform the tunes from memory, so this is an opportunity for them to see how well they’ve learned. James Farmer, a fourth-year studying music and piano, encourages first-time performers to step up and jam with them.

“I understand why freshmen wanting to play at the jam session may be worried or nervous. However, I think the environment at the jams is really low-stakes and accommodating,” Farmer said. “Don't be afraid to come play a tune with us.”

Jazz Jams will also take place Feb. 19 and March 26 at 7 p.m. at the TCS HUB. These events are free to attend and open to the public. For more information, visit the online calendar.