Chris Garzon is a senior at Lynnwood High School in Bothell, a drummer for the school’s jazz band, and this month's KNKX School of Jazz guest DJ.
With ample variety, the set features many of Garzon's favorites.
The Buddy Rich band's version of the hard-swinging tune “Bugle Call Rag,” brought a country feel, while Herb Alpert’s “Ladyfingers" delivers a “heart wrenching melody that makes you think about the good times," Garzon said.
The young drummer also shared the jazz fusion of the band Everything Yes, led by brothers Zack and Nathan Graybeal from North Carolina. Garzon loves the band’s “complex ideas and melodic lines,” as well as their use of odd time signatures.
There was another modern band on Garzon’s playlist that brings a more classic sound: the Norwegian group Swing’it. The group specializes in a Dixieland style from the Prohibition era, a time “when jazz was dangerous,” Garzon said.
“They wanted to bring it back to life for a new generation to enjoy,” he said.
Glenn Miller’s swing classic “In the Mood” also had to be included. It was the source of a month-long obsession for Garzon.
“It was just a great tune to wake up, listen to, and just have a smile on my face," he said.
Legends of jazz drums closed out the show. Garzon chose the mixed-tempo classic “Cherokee” featuring drummer Max Roach, along with saxophonist Hank Mobley’s quartet playing “This I Dig of You.”
That tune features the great drummer and bandleader Art Blakey, who Garzon said has “a very specific type of swing, softer than a lot of other players."
With a variety of rhythmic styles and tempos, Garzon delivers a diverse and exciting hour of jazz.
“You can be analytical,” he said, referring to the complex drumming. But he also stressed that “it’s important that you can feel the music.”
What instrument do you play and why?
I play the drums and French horn. I picked up drums because my friend asked me to, so we could start it early in 5th grade. Later I picked up French horn because no one else was playing it.
What is your all-time favorite jazz piece?
I think my favorite all-time jazz piece is "In the Mood" by Glenn Miller.
Who is your jazz hero?
My jazz hero is probably Andrew Sumabat since he really showed me the extent that jazz could go.
Why jazz?
I did jazz initially because I wanted to play drum set in some way in high school and heard that it would be needed in jazz. But, I kept going because the creativity in this art is second to none.
