Southeast Music Department hosting season's last jazz event

Southeast Missouri State University's Department of Music will present its final Jazz Series event of the season, "Come to the Jazz Party," at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Bedell Performance Hall, according to a news release from Southeast. This concert will feature Southeast's two student jazz ensembles.

The concert will open with the Jazz Lab Band playing an assortment of styles, from the Latin "Mamba Para Jose" written by Neal Finn to the jazz standard "Lil Darlin'," a staple of the Count Basie Orchestra.

"This is our younger group, but they play with plenty of energy and excitement," said Robert Conger, Southeast professor of music.

Featured performers in the ensemble include Sanshiro Ishihara (guitar), Joel Melchior (piano), Sam Harris (sax) and James Behlman (bass).

Also performing will be Southeast's Studio Jazz Ensemble that played at the Elmhurst Jazz Festival in Chicago and received rave reviews, Conger said. The Studio Jazz Ensemble will perform jazz compositions from some of the greats in big band music.

Highlighted in the concert will be "Blues and the Abstract Truth" from the Oliver Nelson library, "So What" from Miles Davis and arranged by John LaBarbera, and "Mueva Los Huesos" from the library of the Gordon Goodwin big band.

The concert will feature three guest vocalists -- Brittany Graham singing "Time After Time," Marie Meunier performing "Makin' Whoopee," and Chris Boyd singing "It's Alright With Me."

Student soloists include Steven Watkins (sax), Trevor Smith (sax), Bill Reed (trombone), Cedric Portis (drums) and Kyle Clay (bass).

Tickets may be bought by contacting the River Campus box office in the Cultural Arts Center, 518 S. Fountain St., from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays by calling 651-2265, or by visiting RiverCampusEvents.com.

More information is available by calling Conger at 651-2398.