Fresno City College’s 23rd annual City Jazz Festival was headlined by two-time Grammy award-winning jazz musician Tom Scott.

“Tom has been a star on the jazz, pop, film music etc. scene for a really long time, I had some of his records on vinyl,” said FCC instructor of jazz studies Mike Dana.

Scott’s show opened with a 19-piece Jazz Ensemble made up of FCC student musicians under the conduction of Mike Dana.

The band worked on Scott’s music for three weeks and had their only rehearsal with Scott the night before the performance. The band played songs that showcased individual musicians in solos.

“Playing with Tom Scott was a huge honor. It was great hearing his stories behind stage during rehearsal,” said trumpet player Jeff LaRose.

After Scott performed his part in each song he would turn around and watch the band while grooving to the music. Then he gave each student musician a gesture of satisfaction after their solos.

“Mike has done an incredible job with this group of musicians,” said Tom Scott.

 For the second half of the show, the Jazz Ensemble left the stage while the clinicians set up to play with Scott as a small band.

The small band consisted of California State University, Fresno instructor Brian Hamada on the drums, Clackamas Community College’s Tom Wakeling on bass, San Jose State University’s coordinator of Jazz Studies Aaron Lington on the baritone Saxophone and Mike Dana on bass guitar.

“It was a pleasure to hear master musicians play,” said LaRose.

 Once Scott was handed the microphone, he came alive. The show seemed to turn from a jazz residual to a jam session with a group of expert musicians. The small band talked to each other and joked with the audience.

“Want to tune up?” said Scott.

“I don’t tune,” answered Dana.

They  also cheered each other on and let the music take their grooving into dancing.

“Playing with Tom was really great, he is a beast,” said Dana.

Throughout the show, Scott literally shared his microphone and moved off to the side in order to not block the view of the soloist, causing Dana to call him a “congenial cat” between songs.

The band received a standing ovation at the end of the show.

“They did a fantastic job,” said Scott.