Valentine’s Day felt straight out of the ’50s and ’60s this weekend as the Ben Ferris Octet and their vocal guests performed classic jazz and R&B at The Sett last Friday. A better venue could not have been found for this informal, yet romantic live performance. The lights were dimmed low over the audience but shone bright above the energetic musicians, whose smiles and obvious camaraderie created a warm, welcoming atmosphere.
The group started the night off strong with featured vocalist Jan Wheaton, a woman small in stature but large in talent. Wheaton showed off her quirky attitude and classic abilities by performing jazz standards such as “Crazy,” “At Last” and a most vibrant rendition of “Kansas City.” Wheaton’s comfortable and clearly professional stage presence enhanced audience interactions, keeping the crowd laughing and engaged throughout the early portion of the show. Her experience with jazz and its more classical roots mixed perfectly with the subsequent performers.
Following up Wheaton was Annie Wright, head of the Wisconsin Union Directorate’s Performing Arts Committee, who has worked with Ben Ferris in the past. Speaking with Wright before the show about the goals of the Valentine’s performance, she excitedly stated, “The Union always tries to produce really excellent shows, and sometimes reaching from within is the best way to do that.”
Feb. 14th was no exception, as Wright got up on stage to perform songs “Tenderly” and “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” with velvet tones and signature vibrato. The most spectacular of her performances was “Fever,” wowing the crowd with a seductive and modern take on the Peggy Lee favorite. Wright’s vocals are a must-hear as far as live performances go here at UW-Madison.
Next up was Ben Ferris’ sister, Martha Ferris, who took the stage with bright performances of “Come Away With Me” and “A Sunday Kind of Love,” which were made enjoyable by the brother-sister interaction on stage and her playful performance style.
The final vocal guest, Kenny Lyons, was introduced in a spectacular duet of “Wonderful” with Wright and followed up with a solo rendition of “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing.” He performed both with strong Sinatra-esque vocals and spot-on riffs. Lyons began wrapping the night up as the audience began to filter out, but maintained the quality earlier vocals throughout his set.
The meat of the performance were, of course, the Ben Ferris Octet, with Ben Ferris on bass, Matt Woleske on piano, Adam Kohrs on drums, Martin Potter on guitar and Luke Busch, Ty Peterson and Nick Jelich making up the horn section. The group had an exciting energy and clear passion for what they were playing, producing fantastic solos consistently through the night and directly engaging with the audience through their instruments.
Ferris himself sang throughout the night, particularly towards the end of the set with a great rendition of “My Girl,” which was followed by Peterson dropping his trombone—to the crowd’s surprise—and belting out a raw rendition of “Sir Duke.” Some of the groups most memorable instrumentals include the upbeat, exotic “Bolivia,” and the smooth, recognizable melodies of “Nica’s Dream.”
All around, there was no better way for the couples dancing among the shaded tables of The Sett to celebrate their day of love than with the amorous jazz tones of the Ben Ferris Octet and their featured vocalists. The love in the air that night was best described by the words of Stevie Wonder in “Sir Duke:” “You can feel it all over.”
