ViCE Jazz Night guarantees ‘dance-ability’

"My first jazz night was hot and wet. Densely-packed people sweated wildly in the basement sauna that the Mug so easily becomes. I remember not the music, but the crowds, the movement, and that energy that comes only from a good beat and a frolicking herd," said loyal Jazz Night enthusiast Kristen Tonga '12, reminiscing about her first experience.

For devoted live music fans and dance lovers at Vassar, Tuesday nights have become almost sacred—worries of homework, reading and papers are thrown to the wind to make room for everyone's priority: the funky, energetic and carefree vibes that define Jazz Night.

Tobiah Sola '13, President of Jazz Night, sees the event as a much-needed saving grace for the stressed out, overworked college student: "It's one of the only organizations that has an event every week. Kids rely on the consistent relief they get from heading down to Matthew's Mug every Tuesday night," he said.

Live music no doubt does a number on that dreaded mid-week slump; however, what really draws the Jazz Night following is the dancing. "When you dance wildly enough, and with so little concern for what others think, you can lose yourself as well as all your worries in the beat, the gyration and the stomp," said Tonga. "Dancing is good physically, mentally and spiritually," explained Sola, adding, "Jazz Night focuses on 100 percent danceability!"

Because the Mug is such a small and intimate venue, bands and students get an opportunity to interact on a really personal level. Some musicians dance freely alongside their audience, some parade through the crowd, standing on chairs, blasting loud tunes, and some punctuate their set with a hilarious conversation with the students.

Chris Connors '12, a Vassar jazz musician and devout Jazz Night fan, describes the event as a sort of communion between performer and audience: "At Jazz Night you get really hip musicians who work with the audience rather than just performing for the audience," he said. "A good dance party is a dialogue between a band, a crowd and an individual," added Tonga.

As a part of Vassar College Entertainment (ViCE), Jazz Night is allotted a healthy chunk of change to bring some seriously groovy and talented acts to campus: "Our musicianship is incredible," said Sola.  

In addition to a high level of skill, Sola also looks for diversity when it comes to booking Jazz Night bands. "My goal is to bring an eclectic line-up of bands. I started off the year with New Orleans funk and R&B, I want to get hip-hop, some more electronic-oriented stuff, bluegrass even, and reggae. I want to keep people excited about shuffling on down to the Mug every Tuesday night," he explained.

Sola is particularly excited about bringing Mais Um to Jazz Night, a Brazilian percussion ensemble from New York. On Nov. 23, the band will rock out with drums, bells, tambourines, and guitars. To top the experience off, the group will bring with them a professional dancer to teach a dance class before the show, then dance with the crowd during the performance. Another act that Sola looks forward to bringing to Vassar is Holy Ghost Tent Revival, an Americana swing band form North Carolina. "It's awesome because in the Americana swing genre, you rarely find acts that are really high energy and danceable. I'm really excited to see how they'll rock us," Sola said.

In the past, Jazz Night has brought back a handful of the same bands two or three years in a row. This year, however, Sola plans to mix it up with all new talent. "There are so many cool bands out there. I figure, why not switch it up? I'd much rather build attendance on people being impressed with what they've never heard before than just relying on previous experience," he explained. "Not bringing back the same old bands keeps people on their toes."

There is one group of bands that Sola would never deny, and that is the jazz talent we have right here on Vassar's campus. "As a jazz musician, Jazz Night has been one of the most important performance opportunities to me and the groups I'm in—The Body Electric Afrofunk Band and Vassar Jazz Combo I," said Connors. "At Jazz Night, I feel like I'm actually reaching people. I believe that when we play the Mug, people sincerely dig it," he said.

Jazz Night is just as much an outlet for Vassar's jazz musicians and as it is for the less musically-inclined. It's the perfect bridge between manic Mondays and the downhill relief of hump days. "It has a cult following," Sola said, adding, "There's a solid crew that really values Jazz Night." In an environment where academia rules, stress flows abundantly and there are always a million things get done, having a mid-week, late-night event like Jazz Night is the light at the end of the tunnel. By coming out on Tuesday nights, students make a commitment to an inclusive and enthusiastic Jazz Night community, they get so have some booty-shakin' fun, and reaching the weekend gets a whole lot easier.