Jazz club established on campus

Louis Armstrong, along with his customary trumpet peered up from a ledge near the library. Not far away Billie Holiday regarded passers by with an impassive stare. The images of these greats and other jazz artists were plastered around the campus in a publicity campaign for the Jumbo Jazz Forum, whose first meeting was held on Sept. 24.

The group, still in its embryonic stages, is working to increase membership. The Jumbo Jazz Forum's founder, sophomore Jonathan Silver, created the group last year after arriving at the University and learning that no such group existed. For the past year, Silver has worked diligently to develop the club. In fact, for the group's initial meeting this September, Silver posted all the flyers, and even paid for the pizza that the students munched on during the meeting.

"I feel like as college students we should understand jazz _ America's classical music, Silver said. "I think we should understand jazz and humanity and jazz and democracy and jazz and love."

His efforts seem to have paid off, as over 20 students attended the group's first meeting. In his initial statement to the gathered jazz fans, Silver explained the purpose of the club, "We are trying to provide a comprehensive, and inclusive community for Tufts students and their guests who play, listen to, appreciate and dig Jazz: the splendid celebration of swinging cymbal."

The Jumbo Jazz Forum plans to hold weekly listening sessions during which members bring music by a previously agreed upon artist, in a specific genre, style, and element (groove, swing ,etc.). But, the group universally shies away from rigidity in its meetings and in his mission statement, Silver stated that "...consistent with the improvisational spirit of Jazz, we welcome serious suggestions to improve upon the agreed plans during meetings. By doing so, we attempt to provide welcome shelter from the assaulting storm of the pop, rock, and rap that is motivated by flash and cash."

Students who attended the first meeting came for various reasons. "[I attended] just to further my appreciation for jazz," sophomore Robert Patterson said. "I think it's great to have a place for jazz enthusiasts to come. I can't call my self a jazz enthusiast yet, but its good have this outlet to listen to something that I'm not used to."

Freshman Stephanie Upson similarly did not have much experience with jazz, but nevertheless enjoys listening to it. "I listen to the radio and I listen to jazz on the radio," she said. "I don't have any jazz CDs but I can relate to jazz, I like the way it makes me feel. [And], so I'm here so I can learn about jazz and famous people in jazz."

Others see the Jumbo Jazz Forum as a way to meet other jazz musicians and to possibly form musical groups. Freshman Starr Shippee, was interested in finding out about the Boston Jazz scene. Members of the club decided to make regular group outings to jazz clubs a possibility.

"You know, sometimes they'll trade swimming in their own vomit at a frat on Saturdays for seeing some jazz," Silver said.

In addition, the group also discussed more mundane details such as the time and location of future meetings (the basement of Aidekman Arts Center), and made plans to elect club officials to draft a constitution so that it can be recognized as an official group by the University.

"Hopefully this is the only pragmatic [expletive] meeting we have," Silver said.