Corpus Christi’s annual Bay Jammin’ Concert Series has entertained thousands of Coastal Bend residents and presented some of the most talented groups in the area for the last three decades. However, after years of playing the festival alongside various groups, seasoned veteran of the Coastal Bend music scene Gary Graves noticed a need for a community jazz band…and a big one at that.
“I’ve always loved big jazz bands, and unfortunately there’s not a lot of those around anymore,” Graves shared. “When I was approaching [potential members], everybody was really excited. There was a longing in the community for something we should have had going for a long time already.”
With help from festival organizer and beloved local booker JJ Nelson, Graves began planning the Bay Jammin’ debut of his newest project. Pitched to perfection, Nelson made an extra effort to secure funding for an additional day for this year’s festival, allowing for a grand finale performance by the brand-new Coastal Bend Big Band.
A “big band” is the industry term for an ensemble composed of around 10 or more jazz musicians. In contrast to other community ensembles such as the Corpus Christi Municipal Band, the Coastal Bend Big Band, or CB3, focuses on jazz arrangements and brings in musicians from around the Coastal Bend. From Victoria all the way down to Kingsville, this diverse arrangement of players makes for a well-rounded, multifaceted group, but can be a logistical nightmare–especially when working as a volunteer effort.
“My main goal was to find people who are trying to be the best they can be at their craft, and who are passionate about music outside of just their job,” explained Graves. “Everybody in the band doesn’t stop music whenever they clock out of their day job, and that’s what I was looking for.
“Getting them to show up to rehearsal and do a concert for free was really asking a lot,” he continued. “But they’re very passionate and want to be here, so they make it happen.”
Graves debuted CB3 at last year’s Texas Jazz Festival, an iconic October celebration of all things jazz with dozens of scheduled performers and a sprawling list of vendors in the heart of downtown Corpus Christi. Directed by Paul Hageman, Graves played trombone alongside the group composed mostly of high school band directors and college professors. From older jazz cats searching for good music to the younger crowd of students, audiences adored the group’s unique production. One of the best moments of the performance was the students witnessing their professors in full instrumental glory for the very first time.
“We had lots of students come up to us really excited about the band,” said Graves. “One of the problems right now is that we’re teaching these band kids to become teachers, and we don’t teach enough kids that there’s lots more out there than just becoming a band director.
“I love band directors, there’s no talking down on that,” he emphasized. “I still consider becoming one. I think there just needs to be a little more emphasis on [the fact that] if you want to teach music, you can become a director, but you’re still a musician and can still pursue music.”
Taking the money they received from Jazz Fest and putting it all towards new music, the group has practiced everything from classic rock crowd-pleasers to modern jazz masterpieces in preparation for their biggest performance yet: Bay Jammin’. Over the last few months, the group has worked tirelessly to perfect the setlist they will bring to the stage for the summer series’ grand finale.
Graves promises something for everyone, from old school to modern jazz, pop charters, reimagined covers of classics like “Live and Let Die,” and plenty more surprises. He hopes this performance will provide new opportunities for the band, not only to further solidify CB3 in local jazz band history, but to raise funds and give back to the community.
Graves aims to generate enough profit from shows over the next year to fund a scholarship for a young musician in the Coastal Bend. This passion project was always meant to be bigger than himself, a key component as to why CB3 received the name without the attachment of Graves as its creator.
“I didn’t want the credit,” explained Graves. “I feel honored just to be able to play with such great musicians and that they respected me enough to come along for the ride. Hopefully one day we can watch the next generation perform under our name. That’s what would make me the happiest, to see this continue and be a thing that is a part of the community.”
CB3 will headline the final performance of this summer’s 34th Annual Bay Jammin’ Festival starting at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 22nd. Stay up to date with the band by following them on Facebook and look forward to more performances across the city from this star-studded group!
