April is Jazz Appreciation Month, and Missouri Western State University’s Department of Music will promote this American art form with its annual Spring Jazz Concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 18 in the Fulkerson Center. The jazz program will showcase its three major ensembles and several student soloists.
The Vocal Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Kathleen Holeman, will perform a mixture of composers and styles, joined by the MWSU Student Septet rhythm section.
The Jazz Lab Band, under the direction of Bob Long, will perform contemporary arrangements showcasing the band’s soloists along with classic arrangements like Woody Herman’s “Cousins.”
The Jazz Ensemble, also directed by Long, will also feature a wide variety of jazz literature, ranging from classics from the Basie Band’s library to newer works by composers Mike Tomaro and Michael Phillip Mossman. The Jazz Ensemble performance will also include the set they will perform at the Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival on April 22. Soloists being featured with the Jazz Ensemble are senior music technology major Sky Lux on alto sax and senior general studies major Tim Thomas.
For more information please call the Department of Music at 816-271-4420 or Bob Long, director of jazz studies, at 816-271-4430.
Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.