Word of Mouth / September 28, 2013 / Casa Nueva

By: Courtney Mihocik, Contributor

The Athens-based Word of Mouth Jazz Band took to the stage for an early show at Casa Nueva on Saturday. The six-piece veteran band switched up singers and soloists, showcasing the talent and style of each member.

Each song highlighted each of the six band members, from the keyboardist to the drummer to the saxophonist, bassist and vocalist--each solo emitted raw emotion and spirit while the rest of the band supported their comrade. Despite being a jazz band, they never played a song that could put one to sleep. The more modern jazz style had everyone in the bar nodding their heads, snapping their fingers or even on the floor dancing with their friends.

This highlight of the show was when saxophonist Kyle Slemmer dished out smooth solos while accompanied by a steely bass guitar and keyboards. Slemmer also stepped up to the microphone and sang--his deep baritone voice captured the style of jazz. At one point, he even whipped out a flute, seemingly from nowhere, and busted out a beautiful solo.

Word of Mouth had high energy for every song--even when the beats per minute dropped, the energy and enthusiasm were just as high throughout the entire show. We left Casa with our ears satisfied by the sound of modern jazz.