Approximately 400 people gathered in Zellerbach Theatre earlier this month to listen to the sonic rhythms of jazz band The Bad Plus.
But not only jazz lovers were in attendance at the event, which was sponsored by the Social Planning and Events Committee's Jazz & Grooves group.
The Bad Plus, having covered several rock songs and been reviewed in Rolling Stone magazine, is a jazz band that has cross-over appeal.
By inviting jazz musicians whose fan base extends beyond the genre, SPEC is able to draw in students who may not have a deep knowledge of jazz music, according to SPEC Jazz co-Director and College junior Matt Berns.
"It's about bringing students to see music that they love, or that they might learn to love," co-Director and Engineering junior Steve Mignogna said of the group's mission.
In addition to its spring show, SPEC Jazz organizes the Philadelphia Jazz Legacy Series -- a free concert series that celebrates Philadelphia musicians. Over half of the events' attendees are community members and students from neighboring universities.
The Young Philadelphians -- a band featured in this year's series -- drew a full house, with over 300 people attending the event. Some were even turned away from the Class of '49 Auditorium to prevent a fire hazard, Mignogna said.
He attributes much of SPEC's success to the dedication of its active members, who spent two and a half weeks on a snowy Locust Walk selling tickets for the Bad Plus events.
In addition to advertising around campus, SPEC Jazz also used thefacebook.com to target students with an interest in jazz.
However, advertising is not the only thing that attracts students. Members say the relatively inexpensive entrance fee for the spring show also appeals to those who are curious about the genre.
"When it's $5, people will take the risk to check out something new," Berns said.
However, ticket prices were not always this low. The committee reduced the prices, which ranged from $15 to $20 three years ago, in an effort to increase student demand.
The resulting rise in attendance has prompted the Undergraduate Assembly to increase funding for the group over the past two years -- a steady comeback from its significant budget cut in 2001-2002.
Although SPEC Jazz has been around since SPEC's inception in 1990, the group is a bit less high-profile than the SPEC Spring Fling committee, one of its counterparts.
"Most of the time when you say you're in SPEC Jazz & Grooves, people think you're playing an instrument," Berns said, adding that people are aware of the group's events, although the committee may not be well known.
College junior Josh Stein, who attended the Bad Plus event after hearing about it from friends and seeing it advertised on Locust Walk, has never been a huge jazz fan.
After the performance, though, he said he is considering buying a Bad Plus album or possibly attending another jazz concert.
"It has definitely opened up a door for me," Stein said.
