THE EAGLE Sports & Societies
At each event the help of the amazing Jazz@John’s team of over 35 Johnians and nonJohnians has meant the night’s proceedings have always been smooth, seamless and professional – from the scene decoration, to sound quality and ensuring the drinks keep flowing. The fact that many of the professional acts we have had keep coming back to play at the Fisher Building and that they praise our work is a real source of pride. A glowing review of our Halloween event on Varsity.co.uk reassured me that this was more than just my view of our efforts and was the public acknowledgement the team deserves.
SPORTS & SOCIETIES
Of course, the priority of the Society is to bring jazz to Cambridge, and thanks to our Bands Manager, Vij Prakash, we have never been short of exciting new acts to attract the crowds. The first event of the Michaelmas term 2009 saw the Mark Perry Quintet captivate the house with their ‘complex and forward-looking, yet gripping and pithy’ sounds. Their performance was matched at the next event by the John Randall Quintet whose fan base descended upon the Fisher Building in full force to see the award-winning drummer blend jazz and rock with remarkable skill. Lent term 2010 saw us welcoming back some old faces – Alex Merritt brought with him the young rising star of the UK jazz scene, Kit Downes, and the New York-based drummer Jeff Williams who is something of a legend on the circuit. The Andy Bowie Quartet also returned to please the crowds with drummer Ric Byer leaving everyone in awe of his talent. The party event of Lent term was one of the biggest and most successful in Jazz@John’s history. The line-up comprising a hefty four acts which were: Cambridge University Jazz Orchestra, Imperial College Big Band, Andy Bowie Quartet and Jules Chou-Lambert Quartet. The 250 guests were spoilt for musical
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