Roxbury Latin Welcomes Jazz Quartet The Late Risers
It was fitting that on a cold, gray day in January, Roxbury Latin students, faculty, and staff were treated to a sunny and upbeat performance from local jazz quartet The Late Risers—a band that has been described as “the musical equivalent of blue skies and glorious sunshine.”
The Late Risers got their start in 2014, when trumpet player and bandleader Sam Dechenne invited Josiah Reibstein (tuba), Tev Stevig (tenor banjo), and Nat Seelen (clarinet) to participate as a jazz quartet in the growing revitalization of Boston’s Downtown Crossing district. Their strolling “Pocket Jazz Band” has been together ever since, bringing traditional 1920-1940s era Jazz to the street corners of Boston and all over the world.
In addition to performing traditional and New Orleans-style jazz, The Late Risers play popular modern tunes as well as original compositions. They even welcomed RL students to perform with them, as the band members spent the morning on campus for conversation and musical collaboration with some of RL’s talented jazz and vocal musicians in both the Smith Theater and Instrumental Room.
The concert Hall was made possible by the generosity of the Andrew Daland ’46 Memorial Concert Fund, established by Andrew’s wife, Pamela Worden, and his family and friends, with the purpose of bringing a musical concert to Roxbury Latin boys each year in Andrew’s memory.
Since the Fund’s establishment, Roxbury Latin has welcomed many musicians to campus, including guitarist Jason Vieaux; the a cappella group Cantus; Elijah Rock; violinist Stefan Jackiw ’03; Yale’s Whiffenpoofs; singer-songwriter Jonathan Edwards; alumnus David Leach ’09 and Julia Connor who together form Room to Spare; and most recently, Matt Weiner ’89 and his band Squirrel Butter. We are grateful for the generosity that fuels this musical experience each year.