Empty chairs sat on Laurie Auditorium’s main stage on Nov. 2 as students, faculty and families piled into the room. They then watched as the members of the Trinity University Jazz Ensemble entered, sat down and filled the auditorium with the sound of tuning instruments. At 3 p.m., the ensemble’s annual fall concert began.
The Jazz Ensemble is a traditional big-band, a jazz orchestra consisting of a saxophone, trumpet, trombone and percussion section. The ensemble also includes a guitarist, pianist and bassist.
Ryan Hagler, the Jazz Ensemble’s director and assistant professor of music, commented during his introduction for the performance that it would be a contrast to the auditorium’s normally “very serious” concerts. Hagler encouraged the audience to remain engaged throughout the performance as opposed to the formal structure of a classical concert, gesturing at them to applaud after solos and other highlights.
This performance was the ensemble’s first concert directed by Hagler, the Grammy-nominated bassist who recently joined Trinity’s faculty in the Fall 2025 semester.
The 18-member ensemble performed eight pieces by composers ranging from classic John Coltrane to contemporary Michele Fernández. The setlist showcased the versatility of jazz, running the gamut from swing to spiritual to experimental.
The music alternated in tempo as well, with energetic and relaxed pieces being interspersed. Audience members bobbed their heads to the upbeat swing number ”Cute” by Neil Hefti, swayed their bodies to the slower, piano-focused “Fun Time” by Sammy Nestico and met every solo with much applause throughout the concert.
“It’s a balancing act of trying to find things that are playable by the musicians in the band and also fit the vibe of everything,” Hagler said in regards to selecting the pieces for the concert. “We’ve got a library of about 700 pieces of music for this ensemble downstairs, so it’s kind of just digging through things, trying things out and seeing what works. You know, trial and error, more or less.”
During the “Looney Tunes”-inspired “Hunting Wabbits” by Gordon Goodwin, Hyson Welborn, junior communication major, incorporated unconventional percussion instruments resembling cartoon sound effects, which he stated was not written into the song but he had found the instruments in the band hall.
“So I figured, why even bother reading the music if you’ve got a good sense of comedic timing and figure out where to stick in a slide whistle or a bongo slap or something?” Welborn said.
Before the finale, Hagler individually named each musician and acknowledged their contributions. The ensemble then provided a dramatic finale with “Cold Duck Time” by Eddie Harris, an energetic rock-influenced number with saxophone and percussion solos. The audience responded with a standing ovation.
Hagler previously taught music at another private liberal arts institution, Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador, where his band primarily consisted of music majors, he said. In contrast, the Trinity University Jazz Ensemble is made up of students from a variety of disciplines, which Hagler said he enjoys.
“It’s obviously a different thing, but the students are super engaged. They’re super talented, and they’re really smart. It’s different, but I love it,” Hagler said. “They’re very enthusiastic, which even music majors aren’t always. Everybody in this band is here because they want to be here, so that’s a special thing.”
In addition to appreciation for the music, many audience members attended in order to show support for the musicians, their passion and hard work, including Zayd Al-Zand, first-year engineering major.
“[The concert] was really amazing. I don’t think I’ve heard a big-band yet, so this is a great experience,” said Al-Zand. “A lot of my friends are in this, which was also really cool to see.”
The Jazz Ensemble will perform next alongside other Trinity music ensembles at the annual Trinity University Christmas Concert at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 5.
