The boys joke around as they set up the camera and hit record. It’s a quiet Saturday in the basement of another home in Potomac. The setup is familiar: teenage boys recording a YouTube video together, until Theo Hansen picks up his trombone.
The Theo Hansen Jazz Quartet is a new addition to the musical scene. Since its inception in late September, the group has met often to practice at home and school.
“Usually when you have a jazz quartet you end up naming it after the person that’s on the horn, so in our case, we had Theo as our trombone player,” junior Vijay Kannan said.
The combo consists of four members: senior Idan Tzioni on drums, Kannan on piano, Hansen, a junior, on trombone and junior Bertie Bennett on cello. The band differs from traditional jazz combos in that it has a cello rather than a bass and often collaborates with different vocalists.
A combo is the term for a smaller group of jazz musicians, usually with 3-7 members. Combos place a high emphasis on collaboration, as the focus switches between instruments. Combos often improvise on stage, and the personal connection that members share is strong.
“At our first rehearsal I had goosebumps,” vocalist and junior Mya Andriamalala said. “It was so good. They’re all very nice people.”
The boys met through the Jazz Band at WJ. While they enjoy playing with the people in the jazz band, they longed for something more personal.
“I think it’s really cool that we have a bunch of 16-17 year olds that have so much passion and experience for the music that we can all just get together and create it,” Kannan said.
Jazz is not the typical genre choice for teenage boys who make music. The boys learned about the impact of jazz through classes at WJ, and the deep understanding and passion they have for the genre comes through in the music.
“I love performing for people,” Hansen said. “Having an audience and playing music is such an incredible experience. Playing with friends is so much more fun than playing without.”
Most recently, the group performed in the junior’s Paris-themed Homecoming hallway. The group collaborated with Mya Andriamalala to sing French classics like “La Vie En Rose.” As students streamed through the front entrance, they heard the harmony of strong brass, soft strings and piano.
“I love jazz, it’s probably my favorite genre of music, so to see them go through the effort to produce that kind of music, especially at our age, was so cool to me,” Andriamalala said.
After the success of the Hoco hall, the combo is excited to advance their skills and challenge themselves.
The group is composing their own music for the first time at their next gig. “I’m really excited for what we can do… we’re definitely growing to a point that I’m happy with,” Hansen said.
