This past spring, the ensemble received its first-ever award for outstanding performance as an undergraduate blues/rock/pop group from the premier music magazine DownBeat. Even greater accolades came in July, when the combo was invited to perform at Europe’s greatest jazz festivals: Montreux in Switzerland, Jazz á Vienne in France, and Umbria Jazz in Italy. Coastal Carolina University Jazz Combo members Liz Kelley-Tavernier, J.P. Taylor, Tim Hardwick, Wade McMillan and Mckinley Devilbiss had the time of their lives, as is evident in the following photo-diary that Liz and Tim kept during the trip.
7/1 Friday
After a very long day of travel, we arrived at our hotel in the beautiful mountain town of Brienz, Switzerland. I think I can speak for everyone in our group in saying that after just one day we are ready to pack up and move to Switzerland.
– Liz
7/2 Saturday
Brienz was absolutely gorgeous, but playing there the night before was only a warm-up gig for what was to come. Once packed up, we headed to Montreux. This was the first of our two days performing for “Music in the Park.” This was the stage that was open to the public and all passersby.
The audience was incredibly receptive and the mutual excitement proved to be a high-energy experience for all. Afterward, we had dinner at a Swiss Kabob restaurant and got to soak up some of the Swiss culture and nightlife. Can’t wait for tomorrow!
– Tim
7/3 Sunday
Our second day at Montreux was a blast! We got to see the 76-year-old Herbie Hancock and the 74-year-old John McLaughlin. True living legends! Between their sets was the John Scofield/Brad Mehldau/Mark Guiliana trio, which was personally the greatest musical treat thus far.
– Tim
7/4 Monday
Our journey to Vienne, France, was really quite stunning. We took the train a few hours through the mountains and countryside and arrived in time for the afternoon sound check and concert. The stage was in the middle of town, surrounded by Roman ruins. The performance went so well that the crowd clapped for an encore! Later that evening, we enjoyed a concert at the Roman Amphitheatre/main stage with performances by Lisa Simone (daughter of Nina Simone) and the Randy Weston African Rhythms Quintet.
– Liz
7/5 Tuesday
This was our first day off from performing. After getting to sleep in and finally adjusting our bodies to the six-hour time difference, this was our chance to see the city of Vienne. Along with medieval ruins of castles and a cathedral, one of the coolest things we saw was the 2,000-year-old stone structure that is believed to entomb Pontius Pilate. Later that evening, the entire CCU gang had a three-course gourmet French dinner in a shaded alleyway.
– Tim