The Marshall University School of Music will present MU Jazz Ensemble I in concert at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20, in Smith Recital Hall.
Following its concert featuring music from Blue Note records, MU Jazz Ensemble I, the premier large jazz ensemble of Marshall’s Jazz Studies program, will perform an eclectic mix of contemporary and classic jazz. The concert will feature music from some of today’s leading jazz composers and arrangers, such as John Clayton and Paul Ferguson, as well as music from player-composers Wayne Shorter and Joe Henderson and some Duke Ellington and Thad Jones.
“We had a somewhat narrow focus on our last concert with a very clearly defined theme,” said Jeff Wolfe, director of the MU Jazz Ensemble I. “This time out, we want the variety and uniqueness of each tune to be our focal point. Simply put, the music is the star of the show.”
It’s important to stay on top of current trends while also acknowledging the past, Wolfe said.
“Playing music from today is essential to the student experience, but also equally important is being fluent in the music of the past and upholding the tradition,” he said. “I think the audience is going to get a kick out of hearing the piece ‘Happy Go Lucky Local’ by Duke Ellington. Duke loved trains and, on this piece, we transform into a musical analogue of a locomotive snaking its way down south. We have almost too much fun playing it.”
The concert is free and open to the public, with sponsorship by the School of Music in the College of Arts and Media. Free parking is available after 7 p.m. on Marshall’s campus.