UT Group of the week: Trinity Jazz Ensemble

Jazz music is an art form like no other. It requires both extensive knowledge of music theory and the ability to improvise a melody line in front of an audience.

To find a college student proficient at playing jazz is a rarity. To find six who work well together in an ensemble is even less likely.

Matthew Lastra, a senior majoring in music performance, has done just that.

The ensemble is called Trinity, a combination of triangle, a symbol of good fortune, and unity, a crucial part to any jazz ensemble.

The group is comprised of Lastra on trombone, senior Megan Lesle, a music education major, on guitar, Matt Deschamplain, a UT graduate student majoring in jazz performance, on piano, UT alums Tan Xu and Andy Bielski on tenor sax and bass, respectively, and Andy Zuercher, a jazz studies major at Owens Community College, on drums.

Lastra was unsuccessful in starting two other jazz ensembles before establishing Trinity. He is confident that his newest group will succeed.

According to Lastra, the group works well together because "everyone has something interesting to bring to the table." This helps them to write their music and produce an album, which is a daunting task.

Xu, who graduated with a master's degree in jazz saxophone performance, has a particularly interesting past.

Before moving to the U.S. to attend UT, Xu was the number one jazz saxophone player in China. He wants to eventually return to China as the country's first fully-educated jazz saxophone player.

Currently in China, most jazz musicians listen to YouTube videos of jazz music and impersonate what they hear, without really having an understanding of the music theory behind what they are doing. Xu hopes to change this with what he learned at UT, and plans to open a jazz school to teach children about jazz fundamentals.

Lastra almost didn't learn those fundamentals, despite a longstanding passion for jazz.

At first, he double majored in biology and chemistry before deciding his heart lied in music. Lastra switched his major to music performance with an emphasis on jazz studies and a concentration on the music business and recording arts.  

Lastra desires to be "the whole enchilada" by having knowledge of both music theory and business.

He derives musical inspirations from jazz legends Duke Ellington and Miles Davis. "[They] didn't have to play a lot of notes to make it sound amazing. [They] just always knew what notes to play." He also gathers inspiration from Led Zeppelin and hopes to write a jazz arrangement of their classic song, "When the Levee Breaks."

Trinity has nearly completed their first album, "Horizons," which will feature entirely original compositions.

They will play original selections from their album along with a wide variety of jazz standards at a free concert tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. in the CPA Recital Hall.

The concert is free, but donations are welcome. 100 percent of the proceeds will go to a scholarship fund used to help music students at UT.

Lastra said he wanted to "do something to give back" to the University and the music program that has taught him so much.

The free event is open to the public.