The University of Massachusetts Dining Services, in collaboration with the director of the Jazz department, Jeffery Holmes, may have implemented the most unique Sunday morning fever ever to hit a college campus.

The name of this marvelous weekly occasion, is brunch – Jazz Brunch.

The Jazz department appointed four groups, one to each dining hall, to serenade the lethargic zombies of the student body during what seems to be their greatest time of need: late Sunday morning.

For many who live in Central, however, it has become a reason to set an alarm on the “day of rest.” Interestingly enough, the band members who partake say that they find similar motivation in the occasion.

The members of Booty Stank, the band that plays at Franklin, all agree that one of the functions that Jazz Brunch serves is as an incentive to get out of bed and play. Students asked at Franklin feel unanimously the same way. The music that Booty Stank plays however seems to have a much greater effect on those listening.

Booty Stank is a jazz and funk band that was formed in April of this year. The band started when saxophonist Ryan McNeice threw a 70’s funk-themed party and instead of making a playlist, decided he would rather have live music.

The band was assembled for the party with Chris Sartori playing bass, Andrew Ricketts on drums and Christian Tremblay on keys. The band continued playing after the event and is now a part of the magic that takes place in the UMass dining commons every Sunday.

Booty Stank puts on an outstandingly tight performance and estimates that about 90 percent of their live set is improvised. Their influences include Lettuce, Miles Davis, Sly and the Family Stone and Billy Cobham.

Their influence on campus, however, appears to be an extensive part of what makes Sundays different at UMass.

Students in Franklin, finding Booty Stank’s music to be a bridge between classy and cool, have nothing but positive things to say about this new Sunday brunch tradition.

“Sunday is a lazy day,” freshman Peter Russo said. “So the Jazz is fitting because it’s really relaxing.”

Other students claim that Booty Stank’s music in the morning does a little more than fit into whatever mood their Sunday would normally possess. It sets the tone for the day, and even for the coming week.

According to some Franklin eaters, the jazz in the morning provides a sort of grace period or buffer zone between the weekends’ long and late nights and the studious responsibility of the upcoming academic week.

“It makes a lot of sense that it is on a Sunday morning,” freshman Molly Valcour said. “It’s the day of rest, and the day to catch up on everything. It’s also a good way to recover from the weekend.”

The jazz causes overall atmosphere in Franklin to shift. Contrary to what you may think, the moderately loud, uplifting and relatively fast paced music seems to facilitate the dissipation of the communal hangover in those reminiscing about the night before over their eggs and home fries.

McNeice and Sartori from Booty Stank provided an answer as to why people in Franklin appreciate the music while those in other dining halls, to a certain extent, do not.

“The four bands appointed to do this by the Jazz department fight over who gets to play at Franklin,” McNeice said.

“Kids in Central are so much more receptive to the music,” keyboardist Christian Tremblay added. “There are more musicians living in central and everyone appreciates the arts much more.”

While the varying levels of appreciation of this Sunday tradition may provoke statements about different cultures within our campus, the occasion itself makes a statement about our school as a whole. Students eating and listening claim that Jazz Brunch creates a good reputation for UMass. Visitors can see how talented people are here.

According to listeners, Jazz Brunch reveals how motivated our student body is.

“It shows that our campus understands the importance of music,” freshman Lilli Samman said.

In an attempt to label this artistically oriented environment, students collaboratively came up with the term ‘The Franklin Renaissance.’

As for Booty Stank, the band will continue to play at Franklin on Sundays from 11am to 1pm. In addition, a possible recording from their live performance at the Hatch may be released sometime in the near future. View their Facebook page for updates, and be sure not miss out on the remarkable Sunday brunch performances.

Christian Hegland can be reached at [email protected].