The week of Valentine’s Day is always an exciting one for members of the Benet jazz community. Every year on the Tuesday of that week, all three jazz groups at Benet share their talents for the second time of the school year at the Cabaret Concert. The concert is held in the cafeteria as opposed to the auditorium, which provides a more relaxed feel to
match the music. The jazz band, jazz ensemble, and jazz combo each played their selections while teachers, students, and parents listened and indulged in some refreshments. The jazz band kicked off the evening with standards such as “Out of the Blue”, “Lil Darlin”, and “Super Chief”. Combo director, Dan Burke, led the jazz combo through selections such as “Cat Walk”, “Four”, and “So What”. The jazz ensemble set featured pieces with singing accompaniment, such as “What a Wonderful World”, “Blue Skies”, “All of Me”, and more. The singers included Meg Schiliro, Alie Oates, Sam Gucwa, and Jenny Schiliro. Ensemble director, Rich Alifantis, also experimented with the inclusion of string instrument players into the ensemble, which gave each piece a new and unique dimension. Each group brought an energetic sound to the iconic tunes played, both new and old. The third and final jazz concert will be Tuesday, May 8. Take this opportunity to hear some fantastic live music and recognize the seniors in the jazz program: Emily Mensing, Josh Villatuya, Claire Chmielewski, Ashley Tyburski, and Dan Dorociak.