Jazz Wires play own tunes at Colfax

The six-member Jazz Wires combo played their own compositions for a 90-minute program Sunday afternoon at Peace Lutheran Church. The event was booked as the last concert for the group which will be breaking up with the end of the semester at Washington State University.

Raul Blanco, director of the combo, has served as pianist at the church for the past two years and brought the group here for its second performance at the church.

Blanco noted the turnout Sunday at the church rated as the largest audience in the short history of the group which has also played at Rico's in Pullman and other locations.

Blanco and trumpet player Noah Austin composed selections played at the concert. In some cases, Blanco noted work on the compositions still isn't finished.

The WSU group won the combo competition at this year's Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in Moscow, and Blanco and tenor sax player Brandt Fisher of Edmonds received most outstanding honors for performing on their respective instruments at the festival.

Blanco started playing piano at the age of seven when he was a boy in Camaguey, Cuba. He said his family moved from Cuba to Houston when he was 18, and he resided in Houston for 10 years before coming to Pullman to study for a master's degree in piano performance.

A reception at the church followed Sunday's concert.