Glancing at the program for the first concert of the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, the headliners were obvious: vocalist Dee Daniels, drummer Ignacio Berroa and the Hampton All-Star Trio.
But for second-year graduate student Bryce Call, the headliner was the birth of his son.
During trumpet warm-ups on Tuesday morning his wife, Jessica, showed signs of going into labor. Bryce plays first trumpet in the University of Idaho Jazz Band 1. Jessica teaches fifth grade at Palouse Prairie Charter School.
“At first we weren’t sure if it was false labor,” Bryce said. “And honestly we were both hoping it was false labor because of the timing. But it was all really exciting.”
At 2:50 a.m. Wednesday morning, Henry Daniel Call was born.
Jessica wasn”t due until March 4.
“Everyone seemed to think he would be late, so it was a bit of a surprise,” Bryce said.
The crowd whooped and hollered at the news.
“We”re all wishing him a happy fatherhood,” Jazz 1 director Vern Sielert said at the concert.
Junior Mitchell Gibbs, who plays first trumpet in Jazz Band 2, stepped up at rehearsal on Tuesday.
“For a long time, I was trying to make sure I was more excited than stressed,” Gibbs said. “It wasn”t easy at times. The excitement won out.”
Bryce and Sielert decided to have Gibbs on call as a backup plan, just in case Henry came early.
Despite this, Wednesday”s concert when smoothly.
The All-Star Quartet is different every year. The 2016 lineup featured Graham Dechter on guitar, Katie Thiroux on bass, Kevin Kanner on drums and Josh Nelson on piano.
Dave Hagelganz and Vern Sielert joined the quartet for a few tunes.
Sielert is an assistant professor of trumpet and jazz studies and plays trumpet. Hagelganze plays tenor saxophone and serves as a saxophone and jazz studies professor at Washington State University.
After the quartet finished, University of Idaho Jazz Band 1 took the stage to back up jazz vocalist Dee Daniels. She opened with “That”s Life.”
Her quartet consisted of Nelson on piano, Dwayne Broadnax on drums and Paul Beaudry on bass.
Throughout Daniels” set, the audience got to know Daniels better not only as a performer, but as a person. She sings with conviction and the knowledge that the lyrics she sings are true.
The International Ballroom in the Bruce Pitman center is a large room. But during Daniels” performance, it felt like an intimate conversation in the corner of a local coffee shop.
Next, Berroa took over on the drum set. He and Jazz 1 opened with “Mambo In.” The Afro-Cuban style tune featured a wide solo section that showcased the abilities between the band and Berroa. In lieu of playing drum set, senior David Hagen and senior Jeremy Quinn joined in on congas and agogo bells.
Junior Alex Lardie opened the solo section on tenor saxophone.
Lardie proved himself to be a versatile saxophonist with a number of solos. He adapted well to each style: classic swing, contemporary and Latin.
Senior Bowen Wolcott soloed next to moderate applause.
Hagen and Berroa traded fours between drum set and conga.
Berroa remained at the helm as the band launched into “Splanky” by Count Basie.
“Count Basie”s was one of my favorite big bands,” Berroa said.
The horn section played the same, laid back melody, while Berroa and the rhythm section played a punchy mambo beat underneath.
“I added the Afro-Cuban flavor by playing the Afro-Cuban rhythm,” Berroa. “It”s like a Neal Hefti arrangement with my arrangement.”
Lardie took another solo.
Berroa continued to drive the band from the drum throne with a heavy backbeat and aggressive bass drum.
The next song, “Night in Tunisia,” is one of Berroa”s “most favorite big band tunes.”
But before starting the song, Berroa wanted to thank some folks.
“Thank you all for being here and supporting jazz,” Berroa said. He also thanked Jazz Band 1.
Graduate student Arthur Sagami opened the tune with a solo.
The energy built throughout the song, as the crowd began to whoop and cheer.
Senior Nathan Top soloed next on trumpet.
A busy Latin beat from Berroa also contributed to the high energy levels.
Moscow resident Erik Bowen took a solo on piano.
Even through complex, changing time signatures, the band stays solidly in time and in-groove.
A bass solo from senior Stefan Jarocki brought the loud energy to a quiet, insistent drive. Light backgrounds from the brass gave figures texture without overpowering Jarocki”s solo.
The saxophone section kicked the energy back up. As the brass joined back in, feet tapped and bodies were grooved to the music.
And then another sudden musical change: the band dropped out as Bowen took a piano solo to end the piece.
A standing ovation ensued.
Dee Daniels came back for an encore, Caravan. Top and Sagami took a chorus each.
Again, the band handles changes between styles and time signature seamlessly. “Caravan” switches repeatedly between Latin and swing style.
Berroa took his last solo of the night, using plenty of cowbell.
The band rejoined with light horn backgrounds as Daniels scatted.
Another standing ovation ensued with much clapping and cheering.
“It was very good,” Berroa said. “I”m very happy.”
Tess Fox can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @tesstakesphotos