The Gleason-Brown Sextet, a jazz group led by Saint Anselm College’s own professor of philosophy Montague Brown and professor emeritus of English Edward Gleason, performed on the Hilltop on Feb. 16.

The Sextet consists of Ed Gleason on saxophone, Ryan Parker on Piegan, Bryan Killough on guitar, Wayne Mogel on trombone, Scott Kinnison on drums, and Montague Brown on string bass.

In regards to how the group came together, Professor Brown explained that it grew from himself and Professor Gleason. “Ed and I have been playing together for years, bringing together a number of musicians,” Brown said.

Although the two of them have been playing together for an extended period of time, other musicians have come and gone. The rest of the Gleason-Brown Sextet who performed at this event found their way to the group in a variety of ways.

“Ryan Parker runs the Sunday evening jazz program at the Press Room in Portsmouth and plays piano as part of the house trio,” said Brown. “He has played with us on several occasions as has Scott Kinnison.”

“Wayne Mogel has also played with us many times, providing us with arrangements for several of the songs we play. This is the first time Bryan Killough has played with us, but he plays often around New England and the Boston area.”

The selections of the evening focused on a theme of melody and its role in jazz-rendered compositions through the years.

The group aimed to show how melody is dominant in helping music draw audiences in and make listening an active process, as well as making a song memorable.

Concerning this theme of melody in jazz, Brown said, “The idea is to focus on melody insofar as it invites one into the music by structuring the music and by being attractive and memorable. However, we are also interested in presenting other features of jazz such as harmony, rhythm, and experimentation which often complement the melody, but are sometimes most clearly expressed when the melody is less dominant.”

The evening featured pieces by composers such as “Duke” Ellington, Hoagy Carmichael, Milton “Bags” Jackson, and many more.

A student in attendance, junior Brendan Mahoney, said, “It was a pretty even mix of students, professors, and members of the community. I really enjoyed the show, the musicians performed an eclectic mix of jazz standards with passion and energy.”