Nathaniel Kelly

The Broadside

Over winter vacation, Central Oregon’s Community College premier vocal and instrumental groups presented their annual holiday concerts.  During the holiday concerts, the Big Band Jazz put their swing on during the Christmas concert.

On Dec.13, the jazz band took holiday classics and mixed it with jazz and big band genres, presenting a smooth, but powerful blend of magnificent sounds.  There were two jazz band groups, both directed and conducted by Andy Warr, serenading audience members with Christmas tunes including “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” with a beautiful piano interlude; other songs included “Christmas Time is Here” where band members had a difficult time beginning on the beat; but, band members soon got together. The band then played a rendition of “Tis the Season, O’ Christmas Tree,” “A Charlie Brown Christmas” which Andy Warr, conductor of the band, had saxophone solo parts.

There were guest soloists Michele Van Handel, Mark Kishner and Lauren Kishner singing jazz renditions of popular Christmas tunes,all backed by the band. Van Handel sang “Let it Snow,” and a  version of “Santa Baby.”

Mark Kishner sang songs including “Winter Wonderland,” and a version of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”  His daughter, Lauren Kishner not only sang, but wrote and composed her own song titled “Snow” and also played the piano.

Concluding the concert was a choral duet between Mark Kishner and Van Handel singing “Baby It’s Cold Outside” with the band harmonizing and filling Pinckney Center’s auditorium with the sounds of Christmas.

“It [the concert] went well.  Not a lot of time to prepare, but went well,”  according to Warr.