Jazz Brazz Big Band and Wire Choir Perform December 8
class=""MsoNormal"">SALISBURY, MD---The Salisbury University Jazz Brazz Big Band and Jazz Wire Choir add a traditional theme to this year’s “Ornaments in Harmony” holiday music festival with its Jazz at Night concert 7:30 p.m. Thursday, December 8, in Holloway Hall Auditorium.
class=""MsoNormal"">Featuring a blend of student and community musicians, the concert includes pianist Linda Cockey, chair of the SU Department of Music, performing Count Basie’s classic “One O’Clock Jump” and jazz icon Pat Metheny’s beautiful ballad “In Her Family.” The Jazz Brazz trumpet section plays the 1940s classic “Broadway,” while tenor saxophonist Charlie Loane and trombonist Bill Courtney improvise on Lester Young’s “Tickle Toe.”
class=""MsoNormal"">The performance also includes a big band arrangement of Irving Berlin’s “Alexander’s Rag Time Band” and Latin tunes such as “The Girl from Ipanema.” The old jazz tradition of creating arrangements without written music is not forgotten by the Jazz Wire Choir as it begins the evening with original jazz guitar ensemble music and new arrangements based on several jazz standards.
class=""MsoNormal"">“The jazz program at SU is unique in that we present concerts that span nearly all the decades of jazz history,” said director Jerry Tabor. “Not only do we love to play the old swing era classics, but we also focus on the range of styles exhibited by the great figures in jazz.”
class=""MsoNormal"">Those styles include the “Old Testament” and “New Testament” sounds of Basie, and 1940s swing and 1970s funk music from Woody Herman. The ensemble also performs an arrangement reminiscent of Dixieland jazz and one from Miles Davis’ 1950 album Birth of the Cool.
class=""MsoNormal"">Members of Jazz Brazz include saxophonists Ronald Reed, Brad Mangiafico, Charlie Loane, Donna Delery and Scott Bunting; trumpeters Mike Hilkert, David Hodges, Jeb Gibson, Peter Palmasano, Judy Benton and Nisa Cummings; trombonists Chris Zalenski and Bill Courtney, baritone player Kim Beugler, tuba player Matt Hill, guitarists Kevin Klein and Zach Caceres; pianist Paul Scott; and drummer Aaron Hardin. Lee Knier, director of the SU Wind Ensemble, is a guest trombonist.
class=""MsoNormal"">Members of the wire choir include guitarists Mike Dickey, Mike Meyers, Matt Wirtz, bassist Jen Deeds and drummer Aaron Hardin. Tabor serves as a guest guitarist with the choir. Sponsored by the Department of Music, admission is free and the public is invited. For more information call 410-543-6385 or visit the SU Web site at www.salisbury.edu. "