A standing-room-only audience at the Cat in the Cream was treated to a thrilling night of jazz last Saturday at saxophonist Brian Wesolowski’s Senior Recital.

An exceptional group of musicians joined Wesolowski on stage. Burny Pelsmajer (OC ’99), currently a professional pianist, returned to Oberlin to play the show. Former Conservatory Professor Greg Bandy played the drums while senior Matthew Elliot provided bass. Together, the three combined to produce a rhythm section that kept a tight pocket and interacted well with Wesolowski’s saxophone.

“It was a blast to play with all of them,” Wesolowski said. “Each one of them has contributed a lot to my growth as a musician.”

Junior Peter Evans added his trumpet to three songs, including the up-tempo “Quick Fix,” the recital’s opening piece. The energy on that song set the tone for the rest of the show.

There was also a healthy dose of spontaneity in the recital, and it was clear that the performers were enjoying themselves. In Gary Bartz’s “Soulstice,” the last tune of the first set, Wesolowski and Bandy broke into an unplanned sax-drum solo. “We all had a really good time, zero stress,” Wesolowski said.

The relaxed atmosphere gave a feeling of familiarity to the performance and allowed for some musical risk-taking. An arrangement of Janet Jackson’s “Anytime, Anyplace,” began soft and picked up. Later, Wesolowski dedicated “When I Fall in Love” to his mother, earning the sympathy and adoration of the crowd.

Towards the end of the second set, Wesolowski and Elliot performed a bass and sax duet of “On the Sunny Side of the Street.” The two have often rehearsed together while at Oberlin, and their close musical relationship was apparent during the song.

The program ended with a blues rendition of “I Just Want to Make Love to You,” sung by Jason Goss. Goss, a college junior better known on campus for his folksy acoustic songs, plugged in his electric guitar and melted the audience with his voice. As he sang, each person in attendance couldn’t believe that the song was just for her.

When the song was over, the audience responded with a standing ovation. Wesolowski called for Jonny Lang’s “Matchbox” as an encore, and a surprised Goss asked, “Right now?” But, by that point, it didn’t matter that the song was unrehearsed; the audience was already thoroughly entertained.