I finished my Political Science class around ten thirty and I walked towards the Student Cafeteria at Laney College to get a snack. I saw a lot people sitting inside the Cafeteria which is not something unusual at Laney in Oakland California during the month of February. This month is called the Black history month and it is said to be dedicated to the acknowledgment and respect of the struggle of Africans and their descents in the history of United States. During this month Laney College as well as other organizations and institutions, organizes events that give information about social and political events related to Blacks in America, feature African culture, music, art, dance etc…
I noticed that there was a concert stage in the Cafeteria on that Thursday morning but no one was on the stage neither was there a sign to indicate if something was going to take place up there. After I was done buying the little snack, I left the Cafeteria to meet up with friends around the campus before my next class in the afternoon.

It was not until about twelve that I heard some music coming out of the student center which is the Laney Cafeteria. It did not sound like the music was played from a tape or disc but from live instruments. That was interesting enough for me to go and take a look, as I was at the third floor of the student center, I looked down at the second floor which is the cafeteria where the music was being played and I saw musicians being right at the spot where the stage was set up, offering a live concert. Although it was not a big band, the musical equipments that they have, was allowing everybody in the area to enjoy a quality sound from real instruments.

From their interaction with the audience and the way that they were using their instruments, I could tell that these musicians must have been playing for years and they could be qualified as professional musicians.

The band was composed of four artists. There was one leading singer who was also playing an electric guitar and three other artists that were playing instruments like drums, electric guitar bass and an electric keyboard piano. The musicians were male about thirty five to forty five age group and were all from an ethnicity of African decent. The drummer was sitting down while playing with a full drum set and the others were up on their feet playing and dancing at the same time. They were all modestly dressed with t-shirts, shirts and jeans, except for the singer who was dressed modest but with more artists like clothing. The band seemed to be comfortable in front of the racially mixed and mostly young crowd that was enjoying their music. From their interaction with the audience and the way that they were using their instruments, I could tell that these musicians must have been playing for years and they could be qualified as professional musicians. The instruments that they used were professionally modern designed music tools, producing a great sound that was coming through a couple of big and small speakers with great quality.

The style of music that was offered was not unusual but kind of special. With the little knowledge I have about Jazz music, I recognized some Blues, Rock and Roll, Motown classics, Original material and some big band style of music from the 1940s that was played. I kind of relate the music I was hearing to what I have learn about jazz in my class and I identified different musical elements such as the walking base line that the guitar bass player was using most of the time to give a rhythmically danceable flavor to the sound. The drummer kept a groovy back beat in the background and often time he would step up with solo sections that were really showing his talents. The guy who was playing the keyboard also did a good job. There was a moment were he was given an opportunity to show off a little bit and it looked like he took that opportunity to give impressive ways of making his instrument imitate human voice and produce words that did not seemed to be preprogrammed in the instrument.

The audience was so amazed that they ended up interrupted him with applause and signs of satisfaction. The singer was the main person leading the show. It was only after he introduced himself and the other artists and gave the name of the band that I know who they were. It was “Alvon and the All-stars”, a San Francisco based band lead by Alvon Johnson who is a former member of the Rock and Roll Hall of fame vocal group, “The Coasters” and the winner of the 2005 Guitar Player of the Year Award, according to their website (www.alvon.org).