Annual Fall Jazz Showcase is Thursday, Nov. 19
JONESBORO – Arkansas State University's jazz studies area will present its annual Fall Jazz Showcase featuring all jazz ensembles with special guests, Dr. Don Bowyer, dean, and Dr. Marika Kyriakos, department chair.
The concert is Thursday, Nov. 19, at 7:30 p.m. in Fowler Center’s Riceland Hall. Admission is free, and the public is welcome.
“From endearing classics like ‘Stardust’ and ‘Cachita,’ showcase pieces like ‘Plunger Mute Syndrome’ and ‘Diva,’ and the creative music of today, ‘Camptown Races’ – the Fall Jazz Showcase has something for every musical taste,” said Dr. Ken Carroll, director of jazz studies.
The evening will begin with the 10 a.m. small group playing music by Thelonious Monk and Antonio Carlos Jobim, followed by the 11 a.m. small group playing classics by Shaw and Sonny Stitt.
The Jazz Lab big band will feature Marika Kyriakos singing a timeless Latin hit by Rafael Hernandez, “Cachita.” An exciting tune from the Clayton/Hamilton library features trombonist, Don Bowyer, on “Plunger Mute Syndrome.” These two great tunes will be followed up with classics by Tom O’Connor and Alan Baylock.
The Jazz Orchestra will complete the evening with Tommy Newsom’s great arrangement of “Stardust,” written for Doc Severinsen and the Tonight Show Band. The tune will feature Hunter Durham in his final performance with the ensemble. Another Stan Kenton classic, “Decoupage,” reinforces the giant influence Hank Levy had on 1970s big band jazz.
Trombonist Don Bowyer will join the band for Fred Sturm’s “Diva,” an exciting take on the jazz tango. The Fall Showcase will conclude with a Chris Ott nursery rhyme setting, “Camptown Races.”
For more information, please call the Department of Music at (870) 972-2094.
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