Cool Moose Orchestra

continued

at any of the clubs where they play.

High school rock bands are a dime a dozen, but young jazz combos are far less widespread — and CMO's size, a baker's dozen of musicians, makes it rarer still. To say "They play very well . . . for high school

kids," though true, would be damning them with pretty darn faint praise. Their sophisticated soloing and tight ensemble work give the lie to their age. This band swings.

Sure, there have been aspects of CMO that betrayed their youth. They used to wear goofy moose ears on stage, and their bass player painted his instrument pink. No more. Now their show attire is red T-shirts and black jackets, and there's no nonsense on stage. Though they play with the irrepressible energy of the young, there is nothing of the moose-in-the-china-shop quality about their exuberance. They've studied with, and been mentored by, some of our area's finest players and teachers — Vincent York, Community High's Mike Grace, and Jack Wagner and Paul Finkbeiner of the Ann Arbor School for the Performing Arts, among others. It's evident in their playing.