Jerry Saunders Sextet at Jazz Live, Lyceum Theatre: 2011

Jerry Saunders represents San Diego's veteran jazz generation, musicians who've maintained jazz's presence locally across decades when commercial support fluctuated. As bassist and bandleader, he's contributed to San Diego's jazz scene through performance, education, and community building. His Jazz Live performance showcased straight-ahead jazz performed by local musicians working at professional level.

Saunders' bass playing provides the foundation that jazz rhythm sections require. His time feel is solid, his note choices support harmonies while contributing melodic interest, and his interaction with drummers creates rhythmic cohesion that allows horn players to explore freely.

The sextet format (two horns plus rhythm section) allowed for sophisticated arrangements and harmonized horn lines while maintaining enough space for individual expression. This configuration represents classic hard bop instrumentation that's proven itself across jazz history.

Local jazz scenes depend on musicians like Saunders who commit to staying and building community rather than moving to New York or Los Angeles seeking broader recognition. These musicians provide consistent performance opportunities, mentorship for younger players, and cultural continuity that keeps local scenes viable.

Saunders' repertoire drew from bebop and hard bop standards alongside original compositions. The emphasis was on swing, blues feeling, and jazz tradition's core values rather than experimental or fusion approaches.

What local veteran musicians bring is reliability and professionalism. They've played thousands of gigs, worked with various musicians, and developed the musical maturity that only comes from sustained practice. This experience creates performances that honor jazz's requirements for spontaneity and swing.

The Lyceum audience for Saunders' show included fellow musicians, jazz enthusiasts who've followed his career, and audiences supporting local jazz. These committed listeners sustain local scenes when broader commercial audiences might be limited.

Jazz education happens not just in schools but through performance opportunities where younger musicians learn by playing with veterans. Saunders' role in San Diego jazz includes this mentorship, whether formal or informal, passing knowledge forward as it was passed to him.

Jerry Saunders Sextet at Jazz Live demonstrated local jazz scene's vitality when supported by veteran musicians committed to maintaining standards and building community. The performance honored jazz tradition while showcasing San Diego's musical talent.

Thank you, Jerry, for decades of keeping jazz alive in San Diego and for showing that important jazz happens in cities throughout the country, not just major metropolitan centers.