Saxophonist Brian McCarthy for Johnson State College students and community members on Sept. 25. His jazz quintet consisted of trumpet player Ray Vega, a professor at the University of Vermont; pianist Adam Birnbaum, bassist Evan Gregor and Jared Schonig on drums.

The Dibden Center Theater was unfortunately only filled to a fraction of its capacity, leaving most of the Johnson State student body missing out on a chance to attend a free concert and enjoy hearing local musical talent.

Once the lights had faded on and off to indicate the show was about the begin, a student in the crowd joked, “False alarm,” suggesting some of the students in attendance may have never been to a concert before and were simply there to just fulfill credit for the required Creative Audience course. This notion was later reinforced when I noticed many students with their eyes focused on their smartphones, scrolling through their Twitter feeds and Snapchatting their friends. I thought this was very disrespectful to the musicians and to all who made this show possible. The ignorance of these students disappointed me, knowing although they were in attendance, they were oblivious to the musicians that were performing for them.

The jazz quintet didn’t let the paucity of audience members lessen their enthusiasm in the performance. They promptly began the show with an upbeat tune that instantly woke me up. McCarthy, a part-time professor teaching in the performing arts department at JSC, played a variety of pieces mostly written by himself, including one by his wife, titled “Causeway.”

As the show began, I couldn’t help notice that Schonig, the drummer, wasn’t at all timid with his routine. In fact, just the opposite. He seemed to be enjoying the performance as he made a wide variety of facial expressions that even at times, looked as if he was in a deep state of pain. I enjoyed his passion until I noticed that myself, along with other members of the audience were focusing on Schonig, instead of the whole performance. At times there were even audible moans coming from the percussionist.
McCarthy didn’t seem bothered by this. At one point in the show, he joked at how much fun Schonig was having.

The students and fellow community members in attendance were treated to a night of quality live music. McCarthy put a personal touch to each piece with his great energy and enthusiasm.

Later in the show, McCarthy performed the piece “Loved Ones,” which he felt musically interprets the experiences of love. Unlike the previous pieces, which involved the complete quintet, the stage only consisted of McCarthy and Birnbaum on piano. This song, which the crowd seemed to particularly enjoy, began with an elegant introduction from Birnbaum.

As he gracefully struck the keys of the piano, some students seemed to find it difficult to stay awake with the soft melodies flowing through the auditorium. The mood of the auditorium quickly changed from the upbeat jazzy melodies to a slower, passionate feeling. McCarthy’s emotions were beautifully transformed into soft and delicate notes. While this beautiful piece put some of the audience to sleep, I found myself being transported through a journey of love and passion. I wanted more.

After McCarthy and Birnbaum had finished the piece, the other members of the quintet came back on stage to pick up where they left off. The auditorium was quickly filled with faster-paced melodies that resuscitated the listless audience members.
I appreciated how McCarthy mixed up the performance by giving the audience something slower, and then going right back to the faster-paced jazz.

All of the musicians were on point with their performances. They seemed to have a strong sense of congruence amongst each other.

At the end of the show, McCarthy made a point to thank those in attendance for supporting live music in the community. His latest album, “This Just In,” is available for purchase on the iTunes store as well as his website, brianmccarthyjazz.com.