For rock and roll fans, certain opportunities rank as life time experiences. Among these are meeting a rock star, and Saddleback students were able to do just that May 3. Matt Sorum, drummer for such bands as The Cult, Guns and Roses, and currently Velvet Revolver, came to speak in FA 101 to a full house.
The Saddleback Big Band, ably led by Director of Jazz Studies Joey Sellers, gave an engaging and entertaining performance featuring student arrangements and original compositions April 30. The expertise of the musicians was evident throughout the performance, and even though their practice time was limited, lapses were few and for the most part insignificant.
I really wanted to love this show. It should have been a great performance: two highly regarded vocalists, a tight backing band, entertaining dancers, bright colors, a very impressive display of "capoeira" (Brazilian martial arts), plus the fact that most of the band members come from one of the sexiest countries on earth.