After 42 years of jazz, Hamiet Bluiett still knows how to rock.

Renowned baritone musician Bluiett brought the audience to its knees Thursday night in the Duke Ellington Ballroom during a performance with the NIU Jazz Ensemble.

Bluiett encouraged students to get involved in different types of music.

“Music is something that develops the brain into something better than it is,” he said.

Bluiett, who has recorded with Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Eddie Jefferson, interacted with the crowd. At one point, as a baby cried, Bluiett gave a smile acknowledging the unhappy child.

“What I do is energize other people,” he said.

Some of the other performers came from around the world. Orlando Cotto, from Puerto Rico, soloed on the bongos — and at one time he even played with his elbows. Nadine Gonzales, a native of Trinidad, sang “Stormy Weather.”

Lindsay Powers, a junior architect major, enjoyed Gonzales’ performance.

“She sent chills down my spine,” she said.

Music professor and ensemble director Ron Carter kept the band’s energy alive with his charm; he often encouraged his band members while they performed solos.

In addition to his directing, Carter also performed in the concert. At one point, Saalik Ziyad, a music performance major, and Carter duetted various lines of scat.

“I think [the ensemble] is awesome,” said Anne Murphy, a junior interior architect major. “They never let down.”