In our search for new and exciting music, we often forget about the music of the past.

One of the most influential styles of the past century is, ironically, probably also one of the most ignored by college students: jazz music. The phrase, for most people, I’m sure, elicits thoughts of waiting rooms and elevators. Wherever the place, jazz is hardly prominently featured anywhere other than jazz concerts; it’s always somewhere in the background. But here in DeKalb, we have a decent jazz scene. You just need to dig a little to find it.

The Barb City Stompers, one of the area’s local jazz ensembles, plays at the House Cafe, 263 E. Lincoln Highway, regularly, and for free. The group played Sunday, and will return for another show Oct. 16. John Skillman, clarinet player and spokesperson for the group, has been playing music for roughly 55 years. Skillman said that he chose the clarinet mostly out of convenience.

“[I have been playing] since I was in grade school – I guess that would be quite a few years,” Skillman said. “We were trying to decide, and my father had a clarinet, so that seemed to make the simplest solution.”

Skillman became attracted to jazz music because of his exposure to it while he was a teenager.

“In ‘57 or ‘56, I had a little band in high school,” Skillman said. “I think I got interested because my dad had some old 78 [rpm] jazz records and I got listening to those and they got me hooked: Firehouse Five Plus Two, Louis Armstrong, Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman.”

Skillman played with the Buck Creek Jazz Band for about thirty years of his career as a musician but created the Barb City Stompers around 2004 and has been playing with them since. The ensemble also features two alumni from NIU’s music program: Robert Hintsche (bass) and Aaron Puckett (drums). The rest of the group consists of Roy Rubenstein (trombone), Larry Rutan (rhythm guitar), and Diana Skillman (vocals). Skillman said that he and the others sometimes play other styles of music, but tend to prefer jazz.

“Jazz is kind of my forte, but we play swing and some religious hymns, but traditional jazz [like Dixie Land, New Orleans and Chicago jazz] is mainly what you would hear,” Skillman said.

Skillman and his crew are more than just proficient at their instruments. Each member brings with them years of practice and talent to create an electrifying and soulful experience. Jazz is a style that is fluid in nature and its influence can be found in dozens (if not hundreds) of other genres. However, Skillman still feels that younger generations don’t have much exposure to jazz.

Chances are most college students could rattle off a song by Katy Perry or Lil Wayne, but ask them about Louis Armstrong and you’ll get some offhand comment about a moon landing.

“This is a little known style of music to kids these years,” Skillman said. “I think it’s one they would enjoy if they got the chance to hear some of it.”