Quiet murmurs filled the Bakersfield College Indoor Theater as the scattered crowd waited for the Jazz Fall Concert to begin. Performing arts professor Kris Tiner directed the modern and classic performances of BC’s Jazz Ensemble on Nov. 5.

The big band feel of “Blues for Kapp” by Marty Paich opened the performance with solos from Danielle Morin, baritone saxophone; James Russell, alto saxophone, and Jorge Santos, trumpet.

After a roar of applause from the audience, Tiner shared the meaning behind the next song’s title, “Black and Tan Fantasy” by Duke Ellington and Bubber Miley.

“The black and tan was sort of an undercover jazz club in the 1920s,” said Tiner. “It was a place where the black folks and white folks got together and listened to music, and did other things.

“The black part of it is an old spiritual tune Ellington had learned from his mother, which is played in the A section and the B section is more of a Ragtime, which is a bit of the white influence.”

It started out with growls from the plunger-toped trumpets accompanied with the Ragtime melody of the grand piano, which gave off the vibe of being inside of one of those black and tan underground clubs.

After Tiner assured the audience that the musical gear had been bought brand new, the ensemble jumped from the renaissance to the ’70s tune played in the Muppet’s movie, “Rainbow Connection” by Williams/Ascher. Much of the song featured trumpet player Jorge Santos, who is leaving BC to continue his studies of Latin music in Puerto Rico.

The Funk streak continued with “Boogie Stomp Shuffle” by Charles Mingus right before intermission where audience members had a chance to look at the posters designed by past BC graphic design students. Daniel Coleman designed this year’s poster.

A percussion of bongos, electric guitar and trumpet, played by Tiner, filled the theater with the ’50s composition, “Call for All Demons.”

Tiner said, “One of my favorite tunes by one of my favorite composers, Sun Ra. One of my favorite space aliens too. We got Muppets and aliens all in the space show.”

Tiner continued to say that their next song, “Speak No Evil” by Wayne Shorter, was newly arranged – or “deranged,” as he put it – to give it a new twist after he heard a section of the class jamming on it one day.

The soulful lounge saxophone played by Stacy Garvin and hard drumbeats by Nicolas Castro mixed along with the rest of the band for a fresh take on a ’60s classic.

“Rivet” by Steuart Liebig preceded “Tow Away Zone” by Thad Jones, making it their last two songs of the night. “Rivet” was specially composed for the BC Jazz Ensemble by the LA-based musician, Liebig. He rearranged one of his jazzy funk tunes with an array of the effects and electric guitar after playing a gig with Tiner a few years ago.

“It’s a very modern take on jazz funk music,” Tiner said, “with a lot of modern and classic influences mixed in.”

After the instrumental clash, the BC Jazz Ensemble the Fall Concert with Thad Jones’ “Tow Away Zone.”