CCU's winning Jazz Combo plays Montreux
CCU’s winning Jazz Combo recently returned from a 10-day trip to the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, where they were invited to play on July 2 and 3.
Bits from the Jazz Combo blog:
7/2/16
Brienz was absolutely gorgeous, but playing there the night before was only a warm up gig for what was to come. Once packed up, we headed to Montreux. This was the first of our two days performing for “Music in the Park.” This was the stage that was open to the public and all passersby. The audience was incredibly receptive, and the mutual excitement proved to be a high-energy experience for all. Afterward, we had dinner at a Swiss kabob restaurant and got to soak up some of the Swiss culture and nightlife. Can’t wait for tomorrow!
-Tim Hardwick
7/3/16
Our second day at Mountreux was a blast. That evening we got to see the 76-year-old Herbie Hancock and the 74-year-old John McLaughlin. True living legends. Between their sets was the John Scofield/Brad Mehldau/Mark Guilann trio, which was personally the greatest musical treat thus far.
-Tim Hardwick
7/4/16
Our journey to Vienne, France, was really quite stunning. We took the train a few hours through the mountains and countryside and arrived just in time for the afternoon sound check and concert. The stage was in the middle of the town, surrounded by Roman ruins. The performance went so well that the crowd clapped for an encore! Later that evening we enjoyed the concert at the Roman Amphitheatre/main stage with performances by Lisa Simone (daughter of Nina Simone) and the Randy Weston African Rhythms Quintet.
-Liz Kelley-Tavernier
Created in 1967, the festival draws more than 250,000 visitors every year for one of the best-known events in Europe. The group also performed at jazz festivals in Vienne, France, and Umbria, Italy.
Students in the CCU Jazz Combo are seniors Liz Kelley-Tavernier on vocals, a music major from Myrtle Beach; J.P. Taylor on trumpet and flute, a music major from Myrtle Beach; Timothy Hardwick on guitar and vocals, a music major from Aynor; Wade McMillan on drums, a music major from Murrells Inlet; and McKinley Devilbiss on bass and vocals, a music major from Myrtle Beach.
In April 2016, Coastal Carolina University’s Student Jazz Combo received a first-ever award for outstanding performance as a blues/rock/pop group at the undergraduate level from the prestigious DownBeat music magazine.
