The night was cozy as people walked in and out of the cafe with warm drinks and pastries to enjoy the performance. A warm light illuminated the back patio of The Night Owl as they hosted their weekly jazz nights on Feb. 20 giving a soothing atmosphere for those in attendance.
Joe Rosati, owner of The Night Owl, shared that he tries to keep things interesting by having different events throughout the week such as jazz nights on Thursdays and blues nights on Fridays. Rosati’s profound connection with music has been passed down through both his grandfather and father as they were both musicians and music had always been a part of his life.
“We started this probably around seven years ago and then we had to take a break of course, with Covid. Then we came back and it was even stronger,” said Rosati. “I think people really need to get out and get back together and share experiences and such, as people should do.”
The band, which consisted of Kevin Karagozian, Josias Miguel, Brian Watson, Michael Choi, Andy Dominguez and Spencer Bowie, performed an upbeat composition called “Our Delight” by Tadd Dameron.
Karagozian, who plays the upright bass, mentioned this was his favorite piece of the night and that his love for jazz began in his early days in high school making it a little over 10 years ago. During that time, he played the saxophone and tuba as well as being self-taught on the bass up until college.
The audience became excited for the leading instruments during “Our Delight.” Despite this piece, as well as the rest, being strictly instrumental this one gained a lot of attention from the crowd because it was so lively and full of rhythm.
Throughout the night, the band performed a variety of tunes created by different jazz artists. This included “In Your Own Sweet Way” by Dave Brubeck, along with “Mood Indigo” and “Come Sunday” by Duke Ellington.
“It’s really fun to watch and the musicians are all really great,” said Anthony Perez, an audience member. “I think one of the first couple performances, just right off the bat, kind of impressed me and really captivated me.”
The band completed their set with an energetic tempo by playing “Moon Rays” by Horace Silver and the crowd cheered them on as they made their closing statement thanking everyone for joining them.
“I’ve been performing here since like 2022, it’s been a good couple years and it’s been a good venue. I originally was going to Fullerton College. So I would legit walk from my anthropology class to here to play a gig or something,” said Bowie, who plays the saxophone. “I played a lot of swing and big band music when I was at FC and I’ve been trying to build that foundation.”
Bowie describes his style to be church-like and has written a composition called ”New Heights.” When asked about future projects, Bowie said he’s in the middle of getting a record together and hopes to have it available to listen to by the end of 2025.
Towards the end of this event, the band encouraged audience members to join them on stage for a final performance and switched off giving each person an opportunity to do a solo. Kayla Armstrong and a few others accepted the offer and together they played “When the Saints Go Marching in.”
“It’s just such a welcoming environment and I love performing. I love being out there and musicians are just one of my favorite kinds of people to be around,” said Armstrong. “I love all the people here & it’s just being around such like-minded people is just my favorite thing. All my friends have always been artists or musicians.”
She also mentioned how the people of this community are so supportive and how they want to see each other succeed.
“I think there’s something so special about art and music that just brings everyone together and this is such a good example of that,” said Armstrong.
*This article was updated on Feb. 22, 2025 to correct a misspelled name.*