FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, Nov. 6, 2009
Contact: Jaye Ike,  College of Fine Arts, 304-696-3296
 

Marshall University faculty jazz ensemble to
perform at Culture Center Tuesday

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Division of Culture and History will kick off this season’s Collegiate Series with a concert by Bluetrane, Marshall University’s faculty jazz ensemble, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10. The program, which will take place in the Norman L. Fagan West Virginia State Theater at the Culture Center in the State Capitol Complex in Charleston, is free and open to the public.

Bluetrane features Dr. Ed Bingham, director of jazz studies, on saxophone; Steve Hall, professor of percussion and director of the Percussion Ensemble and the African Drumming and Dance ensemble, on drums; Dr. Sean Parsons, assistant professor of jazz piano and instructor of improvisation, history and theory, on piano; Dr. Martin Saunders, director of combos, on trumpet; Dr. Mike Stroeher, professor of trombone and music education, on trombone; and Dr. Mark Zanter, head of theory and composition, on bass/guitar.

“It’s a delight to be a part of the Collegiate Series at the Culture Center. The College of Fine Arts at Marshall University is composed of many talented faculty and students, and to represent such these artists is an honor,” Parsons said.

The Tuesday performance will feature compositions from the group’s namesake album, “Blue Trane,” recorded by John Coltrane in 1957.

Bluetrane was created to provide a professional model for students at Marshall and to establish a musical ensemble devoted to the performance of what has been termed “America’s National Treasure.” The jazz faculty members at MU continue a tradition of presenting America’s best-recognized musical art form, jazz, to the people of West Virginia.

The ensemble is central to the jazz studies program at MU, according to Bingham. Housed in the Jomie Jazz Center, the jazz program enjoys a state-of-the-art rehearsal, performance and recording facility. Members of Bluetrane teach classes in performance, jazz history and improvisation and prepare the next generation of musicians and educators for the challenges of preserving the past and energizing the future of jazz.

The Collegiate Series consists of performances and lectures by students and faculty from West Virginia’s colleges and universities. First Lady Gayle Manchin is the host of the program.

The West Virginia Division of Culture and History, an agency of the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts, brings together the state’s past, present and future through programs and services in the areas of archives and history, the arts, historic preservation and museums. Its administrative offices are located at the Culture Center in the State Capitol Complex in Charleston, which also houses the state archives and state museum. The Culture Center is West Virginia’s official showcase for the arts. The agency also operates a network of museums and historic sites across the state. For more information about the Division’s programs, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

For more information about the Collegiate Series or the Bluetrane concert performance, contact Jacqueline Proctor, deputy commissioner for the Division, at 304-558-0220.

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