Jesse Peters has been a musician for the majority of his life. His talent and creative abilities have been a popular act in Canada for nearly 13 years, as he began his career while still in high school.
In the early years, he had different opportunities to play with musicians Travis Switzer and Matthew Atkins in bands here and there. A few years ago they decided to join together and become a trio. The threesome makes fun soul and smooth jazz music.
“I love playing with these guys and I love playing this music,” Peters said.
It was back in August that the organizers for Salt Lake Community College found Jesse Peters Trio. The group was playing at a showcase called the Western Arts Alliance in Seattle.
“I guess they really loved it and got in touch with our agent right away,” Peters said.
The show took stage on Friday, November 18 in the Oak Room of the Taylorsville Redwood Campus. The night was full of romance, laughter and dinner.
“It’s interesting playing the dinner thing,” Peters said, “’cause you never know if you’re going to end up as background noise. However, we’re just a little bit too obnoxious to be ignored.”
It was evident that the audience was accepting of the “obnoxious” noise. Peters was clear on the audience’s participation. He asked for sing-a-longs, caused laughs and even invited audience members to get up and dance.
“I play music to connect with people,” he said. “If I’m not doing that I feel like I’m missing out on something integral to what music is about.”
The Jesse Peters Trio played a wide variety of music, including The Temptations, Ray Charles and even Michael Jackson. They even included some original music written by Peters. However, the night had one theme-jazz.
Each song was written in a jazz arrangement that gave a different feel. Audience members were able to sing the words of familiar songs and clap the rhythms when necessary.
“We are pretty relaxed. Maybe that’s a Canadian thing, but we relax and enjoy the experience so it’s easy to have a good time, regardless of where we are,” Peters said. “As long as the audience is having fun and we’re having fun, you know, I’ll come back anywhere. I’ll play in Antarctica if it’s a good time.”
The Student Life and Leadership team also did an astounding job at giving audience members a “good time.” They set up tables in a social and comfortable manner, allowing people to connect with each other. They provided a flavorful dinner at a commendable cost. Also, they didn’t shy away from opportunities to sing and dance with the audience.
“If audiences are like this in Salt Lake all the time, I will come back all the time,” Peters said.
The trio ended the night with a strong jazz piece that gave the audience reason to give a standing ovation.
“It was fun,” he said. “Good music, good times, a great audience.”
