Review: Union College Jazz Ensemble Opens Jazz on Jay Season; Thursday, June 4

Review: Union College Jazz Ensemble at Jazz on Jay, Thursday June 4, 2026

Setting an attendance record – audience AND artists – and adding a bonus performance by the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company, Jazz on Jay began its new season with the extra-large Union College Jazz Ensemble Thursday in Schenectady’s downtown Jay Square.

Above: Lanaea Bailey of Proctors Collaborative introduces the Union College Jazz Ensemble at Jazz on Jay; below, Tim Olsen; still lower, students file in.

Maroon T-shirted Union student players and singers sheltered from the sun under a tent and the adjacent permanent orange-roofed gazebo while blue-T-shirted young charter school students swelled the crowd out front. The Ensemble numbered 31, with more singers than any instrument section. Vocal numbers mixed with instrumentals early, then vocals dominated late, singing chorus style.

Music Professor and Ensemble Director Tim Olsen seldom sounded academic in intros of songs and performers, starting with Wayne Shorter’s “One By One.” Alto sax “ringer” Eric Walentowicz, a respected saxophone pro Olsen later predicted would return to Jazz on Jay with other crews, energized this hard-bop classic, cranking up a busy, fluid alto break. Then “Boplicity” by the Miles Davis Nonet set a cool-jazz vibe featuring trumpets and baritone sax.

Evan Schieren, above, set aside his trombone to step front and sing “Mack the Knife,” Thursday’s first vocal, and a strong one. Adrianna Miles also sang well, in “Hey Big Spender” – another show-tune favorite. Generally, section playing impressed more often than instrumental solos, showing the ensemble is both well-rehearsed and inclusive, staffed with players of varying skills and experience. The same with vocals; soloists were uneven, but the seven vocalists massed at the end sang cohesive and crisp.

Like a jukebox with deep inventory, well-known numbers dominated. Early vocal tunes “Danke Schoen,” with wobbly vocal, and “I Will Survive” by the all-women trio Debi and the Tri-Tones, spanned Vegas pop and NYC disco, respectively. Olsen gleefully grabbed up a bass drum for the New Orleans parade instrumental “Second Line,” Walentowicz’s alto again soaring over sharp section play.

Above, Director Tim Olsen, center, in red cap with bass drum, leads the Union College Jazz Ensemble; below, Eric Walentowicz solos

Olsen’s solo piano framed the vocal in Abba’s punchy-pop “Winner Takes It All” before a cozy trio formed to add heft. Chris Tompkins left the brass section to take over the mic up front in the Sinatra signature croon “The World We Knew.” Walentowicz’s alto co-starred with Rosi Lampert’s voice in Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love,” soloing sweet and punching short phrases in the song’s seams.

Neal Hefti’s “Cute” faltered a bit from relaxed into languid in its middle section, but things sharpened up at the end. The PMW Trio’s original “Block A” had an easy bossa charm and conventional development. But then they rode a smooth segue into Dave Brubeck’s familiar “Take Five” in a muscular glide without the trademark saxophone; Walentowicz could certainly have handled that.

Grace Schultz

Grace Schultz left the drums and percussion section at the rear for the vibraphone up front in the Lionel Hampton/Benny Goodman upbeat classic “Flying Home;” this faltered some on tentative sax playing but recovered its energy and cohesion.

Then Olsen summoned seven singers up front, all women, for the Andrews Sisters’ swing time staple “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree With Anyone Else But Me,” sung both straight and with counterpoint. This voice-dominant version of the Ensemble stayed put for Raye’s peppy “Where’s My Husband?” – alternating sung and rapped verses. Behind them, the instruments shone strong, too, a fine, big finish.

Let’s give the stage crew some: Balancing inputs from dozens of microphones, and likely direct inputs for electric instruments, didn’t faze the sound engineer, who delivered clarity and kick. The crew helped the Ensemble strip down the stage for the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company to take over.

Jazz on Jay continues through Aug. 27. Next up: the Bohdan Kinal Quartet on Thursday, June 11. The Jazz on Jay weather haven is Robb Alley at Proctors.

Bonus 1 – The Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company presented an impressive, varied and condensed (30 minutes) recital that began with the four dancers assembling their own dance-floor of interlocking rubber panels where the Union College Jazz Ensemble had just performed. This was both efficient and performative; music played as they worked. Sinopoli explained this was part of a 35-show summer series celebrating her company’s 35 years. She chose mostly jazz music, including works by local or regional artists, in a fitting and courteous choice.

Ellen Sinopoli, above; dancers below

Bonus 2 – Maestro Olsen, above, provided the full Union College Jazz Ensemble roster. He also noted Thursday’s show was the swan song of seniors soon to graduate. The ensemble will fire up after Labor Day. Thursday, it comprised:

Jonathan Deitchman, clarinet

Lily Eagen, soprano sax

Ryan Fusco, tenor sax

Zachary Lipyanskiy, bari sax

Angelina Martinelli, flute/alto sax

Eric Walentowicz, alto sax

Kent Angert, trumpet

Gael Landa, trumpet

Oliver D’Anna, trombone

Sammy Fenigstein, trombone

Evan Schieren, trombone/vocals

Chris Tompkins, trombone