by Elise Goitia '18

As a part of Knox's 2018 Jazz Year, the Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble (CALJE) performed a variety of pieces during the Winter Jazz Series.

The group, which aims to fuse the styles and traditions of Afro-Latin American music with jazz, is composed of trumpeter Victor Garcia, drummer Xavier Breaker, bassist Joshua Ramos, and pianist Ben Lewis.

The Knox Winter Jazz series showcases global artists who come from diverse cultural backgrounds for a free concert and one-on-one experiential programming with Knox students and the Galesburg community.

"Man, that was incredible," said Alex Gallo ‘19 after CALJE's performance. "It was overwhelmingly complex and organic. I definitely had a powerfully emotional response. Having Knox bring musicians like this to campus encourages looking at things from a different perspective. Music that you don't typically listen to is here for you to listen."

CALJE was formed by musicians from Chicago's diverse Latin and Jazz communities. In the past, the musicians have shared the stage with artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Tito Puente, and The Temptations. CALJE also offered a free workshop to students and faculty members prior to their evening performance in Kresge Recital Hall. Bassist Joshua Ramos commented that the students "seemed to enjoy it."

"Everybody's really nice and appreciative," he added.

While performing in Kresge, CALJE utilized their group's strengths in order to perform complex, energetic pieces along with pieces that swung more toward the blues side of jazz.

Nathan Smelker '18 is a drummer for the Knox Jazz Ensemble in the Cherry St. Combo. He said that the musicians' performance was "amazing."

"I really love jazz, so being able to see a group like this is really inspiring," commented Smelker. "I've never really heard a drumming style like Xavier Breaker's. I really enjoyed listening to them."

Smelker considers Knox's Jazz Year an opportunity to bring together the Knox and Galesburg community through a common love: jazz.

"I love having the inspiration and seeing people that I can aspire to play more like," he said. "But also, for the general public, it really brings in a sense of community. I never really see as many of these Galesburg residents at Knox than at these awesome jazz events."

The 2018 Jazz Year features other events throughout the year, such as the 38th Annual Knox-Rootabaga Jazz Festival happening in April and the Jerome Mirza Jazz Residency in November.

Ellie Baird, a sophomore in the Knox College Choir, added that the performances are an opportunity to take advantage of.

"This is something that a lot of places don't offer," she said. "You don't get free jazz all the time, and these guys were really, really good. There's not a huge jazz scene in Galesburg, so Knox's ability to bring in jazz artists of that level of experience and recognition is pretty cool. I felt like I was losing my mind, it was so cool."