Get ready for a taste of Mardi Gras and Carnival at the Clubhouse in Wainscott Friday night. The East Hampton High School Jazz Band will be opening for the band Nation Beat at Jazz Night, starting at 6.
“I know the trumpet player from college, which is how I got in touch with them. They are a band that plays mostly Mardi Gras and Carnival-style music. It’s going to be pretty lively,” said Christopher Mandato, the high school band director and music coordinator. “We’re going to do an opening set for maybe 20 to 25 minutes, and the last song, ‘Feira de Mangaio,’ will be a collaboration with them.”
Tickets will be available at the door and cost $20 for general admission and $15 for students, with an arcade card included.
“It’s great live entertainment, and what’s great about this project is that it brings real pros to our community,” Mr. Mandato said. “This makes it really accessible for the young people and bridges the gap between the school and the professional world.”
This is the third year that the jazz band has hosted a live music night, and they’ve been working hard to get all the elements just right.
Christopher Amay, a junior who plays the baritone saxophone, has one of the toughest jobs. “Other than the octave — it’s a lower instrument — it’s just a struggle to stay in time,” he explained. “It’s a lot of counting, because you’re never part of the main part of the band, but that’s okay because you’re part of the steady heartbeat of the rhythms.”
Timoy Parchment, a junior drummer, said his focus is keeping the time. “It is a pretty big job, carrying the groove of the band. The drums keep everyone on beat,” he said. “Jazz music is the first type of music I played on the drums. It’s really just fun and there are a lot of styles you can play.” He has two solos in the show, but said to watch out for “Soulful Strut,” his favorite song.
Molly Stillman, a junior saxophone player, has a solo called “Pure Imagination.” “It’s a full-song solo, so that’s a really fun one for me,” she said. “It’s pressure until I start playing, and then it’s just fun.”
And it’s not just the performances — Friday rehearsals are a great time, too, she said. “I look forward to jazz band all day Friday. It honestly makes my day. I love the music. I’ve been in the band since freshman year. I’ve definitely made a ton of friends” while “the music itself plus the people I’ve met here have cultivated my passion for music, so I look forward to it all the time.”
The group is audition-based, with most of its members having played since at least the fourth grade.
Owen Browne, a senior guitarist, plans to stay with it in college. “This is my first year playing guitar and being part of the rhythm section,” he said. “I’m going to be playing in the wind ensemble at Eastern Connecticut State University.”
Music fans looking for something fun to do Friday night will not be disappointed.
“I think what’s emblematic about this group is the hours that they put in outside of the rehearsal room,” Mr. Mandato said. “You can tell that they practice and they really deeply care about what they’re doing.”