The EIU Jazz Ensemble was joined by a guest vocalist for the first time during its final concert on Thursday.

Audience members could hear the practice notes resounding from backstage moments before the EIU Jazz Ensemble took the stage for the last time this semester.

Sam Fagaly, director of the EIU Jazz Ensemble and director of jazz studies, came onto the stage and began conducting the ensemble’s first piece “That’s What I Thought” by Paul McKee.

The piece is a traditional big band jazz composition that introduced the audience to the acoustics of the theater.

From delicate, soft compositions, like Thad Jones’s “To You,” to boisterous, big band numbers like Alan Jay Lerner and Fredrick Loew’s “Almost Like Being In Love,” the audience heard the result of the ensemble’s year of hard work.

Chad Mathis, a graduate student and the bass player for the ensemble, said that the concert was a good finish for his time at Eastern.

“It’s bittersweet,” Mathis said. “It’s been a fast two years. Playing in this ensemble has been one of the best experiences I’ve had; definitely (a success).”

After smoky pieces like “A Country Boy” by Herb Ellis and a big band piece called “Latin Dance” by Bob Mintzer, Fagaly introduced Danielle McKenzie, a senior music major, as the featured vocalist for the evening.

McKenzie was the first vocalist with which the EIU Jazz Ensemble had ever performed, Fagaly said.

The songs in which McKenzie was featured were all big band and swing classics that have been performed by greats, such as Frank Sinatra.

McKenzie said that the experience for her was amazing.

“It’s like nothing else. It’s a really different experience,” McKenzie said. “They’re just a really great ensemble.”

Audience member Matthew Jacks, a freshman marketing major, thought McKenzie was an enjoyable addition to the ensemble.

“She was really good,” Jacks said.

The ensemble played contemporary pieces with improvised solos, which rendered applause every time.

Improvised solos, which are a recognizable element of jazz, were peppered throughout the compositions that were performed.

Fagaly said he was proud of the ensemble and that he thought the hard work done all year paid off.

“(I am) very pleased. I thought the students did a very good job,” Fagaly said. “The students all rose to the occasion.”

Felicia Darnell can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].