The four Carmel jazz bands will perform at Jazz a la Mode in Room P105 from April 24 to 26, according to Director of Bands Michael Pote. Doors will open at 6:15 p.m., and the concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets may be purchased online at totalgatesolutions.com or at the door.

What Jakub Walerstein, Jazz Band I member and junior, looks forward to the most for the night is the dessert selection. Pies and other sweets will be served “a la mode” at the event, which means “topped with ice cream” in culinary terms.

“I can’t wait to eat the pies,” he said.

Walerstein said Jazz a la Mode is a special event because it allows guests to view bands in a more intimate setting. Instead of being separated by a large stage, he said, Jazz a la Mode is more like a New York City jazz nightclub.

“They take the Carmel High School band room and turn it into a jazz club. They have all sorts of lights set up and there is tables and chairs and it is a very intimate and exciting setting for people to come and go.”

Before the official concert begins, there will be a series of jazz combo performances at 7 p.m., according to Pote.

“We’re having some special student-run ensembles performing earlier in the night. So, little trios and quartets of jazz musicians performing before the event starts, with each night is a different group of kids performing,” Pote said.

Jazz bands began practice in November, and the ensembles have performed two concerts already. Pote said the ensembles worked extremely hard and this year’s Jazz a la Mode will be one of the best performances by the jazz bands.

“All the bands are better. We’ve got talent all the way from Jazz Band IV to Jazz Band I, so all the bands will sound amazing,” he said. “It’s a pretty fun concert; it’s usually one of our most popular concerts in the band division. I hope people have a great time, which they usually do.”