This past Thursday had to be one of the more rewarding musical experiences that I have had since leaving graduate school. I had the privilege of hosting my good friend, Aakash Mittal, and his band in Fargo/Moorhead for a few days. Thursday afternoon the quartet put on a masterclass at Concordia College for the Jazz Ensemble I and a few other students. They played a few of Aakash's original compositions, and explained to the students why they perform soli original music. It was a very insightful masterclass, which the students seemed to be very excited about.
Later that evening, they performed a show at Studio 222 in downtown Fargo, which is really a great venue for live jazz. The group sounded great, and they were kind enough to allow me to sit in on a few tunes. We played one of my original compositions, as well as a blues that Aakash wrote.
These guys are truely some of the nicest people you will ever meet, and they play so well together as a group. I would have to consider their time here in the Fargo/Moorhead area a huge success, and only hope that this will not be the last time they come to town. Thanks so much Aakash, Matt, Jean-Luc, and Josh!
