Jazz-O-Lantern Jam: A Spooktacular Night of Halloween Pops
Guitar Ensemble during their Halloween Pops performance. Photo by Alice Wright '26
On Oct. 25, Marist Music’s Guitar Ensemble and Jazz Foxes put on a fun, groovy performance of jazz and rock music that successfully took the audience into the spooky scene of Halloween.
Jeffrey Armstrong, associate professor of jazz and guitar and director of the jazz and guitar ensembles, organized the performance dubbed ‘Halloween Pops’ but the students handpicked all of the songs performed in this mini-show. The students’ passion was evident to the audience, with extraordinary performances by guitarist and vocalist Pat Casella ‘26 and drummer Max Zart ‘24.
The Guitar Ensemble performed “Minuet” in A minor and C minor by J.S. Bach, “Rat Salad” by Black Sabbath, and the Allman Brothers’ “Jessica,” “Midnight Rider,” and “Statesboro Blues.”
The two versions of Minuet were an exciting taste of the songs to come, where the artists showed off their talent. Of the remaining songs, “Rat Salad” and “Midnight Rider” took the cake for their best songs. Casella was passionate in his vocals and extremely talented on the guitar, especially paired with Zart’s solo on “Jessica.” These two, along with their supporting instrumentalists, were a testament to the talents of Marist College Music.
The Jazz Foxes took the floor for the second half of Halloween Pops, performing “Tune Up” by Miles Davis, “Work Song” by Nat Adderly, “Girl from Ipanema” by Jobin, “Autumn in New York” by Vernon Duke and “Pick up the Pieces” by Average White Band. Just when you thought the concert couldn’t get better – it did.
The array of songs was well done, but the most impressive feat had to have been their rendition of “Pick up the Pieces.” On its own, the song is upbeat with an infectious vibe, but live from these performers, it’s a totally different experience. They filled the room with good energy and ended their performance with a bang.
The two ensembles are small but mighty and their Halloween performance proved it. Marist Music will be back with the full band and Wind Symphony on Friday, Dec. 1 for their Winter Concert.