Grammy nominated trumpet player Wayne Bergeron, best known for his work on Disney’s The Incredibles, headlined the Long Beach City College Spring Big Band Bonanza on Friday.
The show was the final on-campus concert of the semester for the big band and also the final performance for many graduating musicians in the band.
Wayne was introduced to the thunderous applause and cheers from the family and friends that filled the courtyard.
“Wayne is also an alum from the school so we’re proud to have him back,” jazz professor Patrick Sheng said.
Bergeron moved to California at age one after being born in Hartford, Connecticut.
“It’s an honor to be back here where I once went to school,” Bergeron said.
The setlist was mostly made up of songs by Bergeron’s personal friend and jazz composer Tom Kubis.
Another song played was a Disney composition honoring Bergeron’s work on multiple Disney animated films such as The Incredibles and Finding Dory.
This was the first year that there were enough people for two big bands, the daytime and nighttime big bands.
“This is something of a passion project of mine and now we’re more of a community band,” Sheng said.
Sheng also played baritone saxophone in the night band among other older and more experienced players.
Bergeron played with both bands and kept the mood up with lighthearted jokes as the night went on that kept the audience laughing.
The show was the final performance of the school year for the jazz program and they are looking to grow and improve their program even more next year.