By Chris Parker, junior

 Steve Bartowsky returned to Friends University and did not disappoint.

Bartowsky graduated from Friends in 1997 from the jazz program and North Texas after that. He then moved to Los Angeles and made it big after being a small town player.

Billy and the Improbables, a small group from Friends, warmed things up nicely for him. They were then followed by a group simply called “the Thursday Combo,” where Bartowsky made his return to Friends and began his piano performance.

More than 100 people attended, including community members, students and the president of Friends. Even though Bartowsky had not been on campus in six years, he made it seem as if he had never been gone by the way he played and entertained the crowd.

The third combo he played with was the best of the night.

Jason Whitmore was the saxophone player who joined in that combo, and he was happy to get the chance to play with Bartowsky.

“Steve is a great inspiration to a young player like myself – to come from a small music scene and make it big,” Whitmore said.

The third combo started out slow with “Appointment in Milano” but sped things up with the original “On the Hunch” by guitar player Riki Eto and “Changing of the Guard” after that.

Bartowsky hung with the young group but joked afterward that the quick playing might not have been his cup of tea.

“I warned the last band that I’d retired from fast playing,” he said.

The Wednesday night combo finished things off for the Jazz Night and Steve joined in for the final song, “Let’s Get Down to the Nitty Gritty,” and dazzled on the piano once again.

Bartowsky’s return to Friends was a rousing success, and in turn, the Casado Jazz Night did not disappoint.