The Steve Blair Septet performed for about 50 jazz enthusiasts at Dibden Center on Thursday, March 6, in an intimate on-stage seating arrangement with artwork from Blair’s uncle, Robert Blair, projected in the background.
The show was part of a Faculty Fellowship award, which Blair received this year. Only two people in the entire Vermont State Colleges system receive this honor annually.

Blair kicked off the evening with a recording info session, in which he did a show-and-tell of his recording equipment.

Then the music began.

The music consisted of original compositions from Blair’s latest album, “Momentum.”

He explained to the audience that the show was being recorded in order to compare the “modern approach to recording versus live recording.”

The CD, he said, had been totally overdubbed, meaning that each instrument was recorded individually.

For a live recording, naturally, this was not possible. Blair said that live recordings were more risky because mistakes could not be redone.

Blair’s septet included himself on guitar, former Johnson faculty member Tom Cleary on keyboards, and current faculty members Gabe Jarrett, Stacy Starkweather, Andrew Moroz, and Bryan McNamara playing drums, bass, trombone, and alto saxophone, respectively.

Trumpet and flugelhorn were provided by JSC student Alex Wolston.

Ten pieces were performed, including a “jazzy waltz” called “Three Doors,” the bluesy “Bolero,” and “Red Blues,” which Blair introduced by saying “we’re going to get a little funky here now.” And they did.

Incredible collective improvs were performed, stand-outs being “Odds or Evens” and “The Mystic Chord.” On the latter piece, Blair gave a music theory lesson, explaining what the mystic chord was (it contains all four triads: major, minor, augmented and diminished), with Cleary and Moroz providing examples of what it sounded like.

The musicians did a wonderful job; with solos that were no less than amazing. The band appeared to be enjoying the show as much as the audience - they were lively and energetic, and seemed to be having fun. The performers’ attitudes are what make a good jazz show into a great one, and this was a great one.

After the band finished its tenth piece, the audience responded with a standing ovation and demanded an encore, which was granted. Blair then invited those interested to venture down the big hill to the Hub, where JSC students would be performing.
All in all, it was a wonderful show.

In an interview before the performance, Blair said the event was unique in that it was the first Faculty Fellowship culminating in a musical program.

“I’m lucky to be able to do this live performance because I got some help from my Faculty Fellowship Award to get the musicians together and get this done in Dibden, and I appreciate the opportunity because it’s really hard to throw a seven-piece band together, so this is kind of a rare opportunity for me,” Blair said.

While Blair is a full-time professor at Johnson, he is in four or five bands and plays a lot of gigs. In addition, he is a freelance musician in both performance and recording.

“It’s a nice mix of teaching and playing and recording and composing,” he said. “It’s actually pretty close to the ideal situation.”

Blair has performed in and outside of Vermont, including such establishments as Leunig’s Bistro and Red Square in Burlington.