This past Sunday, the Center for the Arts once again brought enthralling music to the intimate parlor of the Russell House. The six-piece jazz band Dead Cat Bounce filled the room with a classic jazz sound mixed with modern touches arranged by bandleader Matt Steckler. The term “dead cat bounce” is actually a reference to a stock market term describing a brief recovery of declining stock, but the band says their use of the phrase is to signify their “dedication to creative rebirth and renewal, even as times, traditions, and masters move on.”

The members of Dead Cat Bounce demonstrated their musical mastery through their communication with one another throughout the performance. Jazz pieces are unique in their reliance on improvisation, and therefore require skilled musicianship of all members, who must pick up on modifications to each piece. The group effortlessly executed rhythm changes throughout their repertoire with this same technical skill.

Each solo also ended with the group creating a steady build back into the full band sound, giving the soloist the opportunity to go out with a bang as the other players joined back in. This was readily apparent in the band’s opening selection, “Food Blogger,” in which saxophonist Jared Sims gradually increased the length of his trills as the rest of the band increased their volume to return to a more unified sound.

One of the pieces best received by the audience was “Mentes Flexiveis,” a high-energy piece driven by the drumbeats of Wesleyan grad student Bill Carbone. The song’s upbeat tempo was reminiscent of the Swing Era. Carbone took off with a solo during this piece, adding drum rolls and syncopated bell rhythms along the consistent beat of the bass drum. As the band entered once again, they created the distinctive sound of three different saxes—soprano, alto and baritone—all playing the same melody in unison. The three-octave sound was strangely both melodic and dissonant, making “Mentes Flexiveis” the most acoustically stimulating part of the program.

Carbone was not the only band member with a memorable solo. In a piece entitled “Tourvan Confessin,’” Terry Goss played the saxophone without reservations in a chaotic yet skillful manner. As he prepared to join back in with the group, he let out a high note lacking clarity but somehow still fitting in with the piece.

Peter Schwebs’ solo on bass immediately followed the first piece and created an interesting transition with an effortless melody. His nonchalant pizzicato made it seem almost as though he were warming up rather than beginning a new song. The bass alone gave the tune a creepy air, but as the rest of the band joined the melody it began to resemble the mood of a pleasant walk through low tones and bouncy beats. Schwebs’ casual intro set the tone for this calming and relaxed selection.

Overall, Dead Cat Bounce successfully captured the rebirth of jazz that their name exemplifies. Their big-band sound elicits memories of the Swing Era while the members’ individual solos give them the opportunity to add more contemporary touches to the music they love. As long as musicians like the members of Dead Cat Bounce are around, one can safely say that jazz will never die.