Jazz Guitar Ensemble Wows Patrons at Austin Grill

The smell of great Tex-Mex food wasn’t the only thing in the air at Austin Grill on Monday night; the West Springfield High School Jazz Guitar Ensemble filled the room with the smooth sound of jazz music from the front of the establishment.

Two groups of students alternated every hour to play entertaining sets, including their own jazzed-up version of the Mario theme from the popular Nintendo franchise. The restaurant was much busier than it is on the average Monday night, and open tables were few and far between, as many patrons lingered past their meal to enjoy the performance that could be heard from any seat in the restaurant.

On the first Monday of every month, Austin Grill allows a different group of people to come in and raise money for their cause, often performing for the customers while earning a percentage of the profit that comes in for the evening.

“We have a different group every month," Cornell, a manager at Austin Grill, said. "We work with schools, churches, and other private groups. We feel that it’s very important to give back to our community.” Cornell also noted that it’s very good for business, as each of these groups brings a new “following” with them every month, exposing different people to the restaurant.

Laurie McCreedy, the Guitar Ensemble Boosters President, set up the fundraiser and handled the advertising of the event in several local papers. The Boosters also provided white Guitar Ensemble polo shirts for the servers and hostesses to wear for the evening, which they got to keep. The guitar ensemble chose to perform at Austin Grill this week because the students had enjoyed a previous performance there.

The Jazz Guitar Combo is fundraising to earn money for their spring trip to perform at Epcot Center in Orlando, Florida’s Disney World. The guitar ensemble does not have a set goal for their fundraising because they feel that doing so would also set a limit. They plan to give guitar teacher Keith Owens, in his twentieth year at West Springfield High School, a year to remember.

The Jazz Guitar Ensemble is made of about 17 students, broken up into two different groups. These groups were originally based on skill level, but now both groups are of equal performing caliber.

"Some people think that you need a saxophone to play jazz," Guitar Ensemble Student President Ryan McCreedy said. "We're really proud that we can prove them wrong."

While the more experienced students get a few more solos, every student gets a turn to impress the crowds at their performances - and based on their performance at the Austin Grill on Monday, the solos are all well-deserved.

If you wish to support West Springfield's Jazz Guitar Ensemble, they will be holding fundraisers at the McDonalds on Rolling Road in May and June, before taking a break for the summer. 

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