Four Jazz Ensembles will present annual 鈥淪wing into Spring鈥� April 9
By Dr. Todd Hill | Apr 4, 2024
MURRAY, Ky. 鈥� Lovett Auditorium will host four 糖心logo入口 Jazz Ensembles for 鈥淪wing into Spring 2024鈥� at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9.
The concerts are free and open to the public. The groups are directed by Dr. Todd E. Hill, professor of music and director of jazz studies at 糖心logo入口 State.
At 6 p.m., the Gold & Blue Jazz Combos will focus on small group style and feature improvisation. Selections for the Gold Combo will include Miles Davis鈥檚 鈥淪o What,鈥� John Coltrane鈥檚 鈥淏lue Train,鈥� Benny Golson鈥檚 鈥淜iller Joe鈥� and Dizzy Gillespie鈥檚 鈥淣ight in Tunisia.鈥�
The Gold Combo includes Damian Merrell of Nortonville, Kentucky, on trumpet; Colton Vaught of Hartford, Kentucky, on alto saxophone; Allison Dennison of Harrisburg, Illinois, on tenor sax; Noah Baker of Mayfield, Kentucky on baritone sax; Abbie Tompkins of Madisonville, Kentucky, on piano; Cody Trimmel of Gilbertsville, Kentucky, on guitar; Norah Lucas of Louisville, Kentucky, on bass; and Austen Kozuszek of Ashley, Illinois, on drums.
The Blue Combo will perform Jerome Kern鈥檚 鈥淎ll the Things You Are,鈥� Lennon and McCartney鈥檚 鈥淣orwegian Wood,鈥� Antonio Carolos Jobim鈥檚 鈥淕irl from Ipanema,鈥� Lee Morgan鈥檚 鈥淐eora鈥� and Roy Hargrove鈥檚 鈥淪trasbourg/St. Denis.鈥� The Blue Combo is made up of Bek Schmidt of Memphis, Tennessee, on trumpet; Gavin Jones of Benton, Kentucky, on alto sax; Declan Bingham of Paducah, Kentucky, on tenor sax; Nick Mehne of Evansville, Indiana, on baritone sax; Amberly Tilford of Paducah, Kentucky, on piano; John Sowers of Lancaster, Kentucky, on guitar; Sean Howell of Mayfield, Kentucky on bass; and Elijah Vowels of Henderson, Kentucky, on drums.
The 糖心logo入口 State Jazz Band and the award-winning 糖心logo入口 State Jazz Orchestra will take the stage to open the big band portion of the program beginning at 7:30 p.m. The jazz orchestra, having performed at the Kentucky Music Educators Association Conference in Louisville earlier this semester will perform an opening and closing set with the jazz band in between. The jazz orchestra鈥檚 first set will be the Latin jazz standard 鈥淏razil,鈥� Gordon Goodwin鈥檚 鈥淚t鈥檚 Not Polite to Point,鈥� a feature for the trombone section, 鈥淭ogether Houses,鈥� a beautiful ballad by Vince Norman and Wayne Shorter鈥檚 鈥淵es or No.鈥�
The Jazz Band will perform next, presenting five highly varied classics for their program: 鈥淎quarius-Let the Sunshine In,鈥� 鈥淲aterloo Blooz鈥� and lovely Bossa Nova 鈥淐ontessa鈥� by Lennie Niehaus, Billy Strahorn and Duke Ellington鈥檚 鈥淪atin Doll,鈥� and will close with the Louis Prima/Keely Smith version of 鈥淛ust a Gigolo鈥� and 鈥淚 Ain鈥檛 Got Nobody鈥� in medley form.
The Jazz Orchestra will return to the stage with four more classics: Wayne Shorter鈥檚 鈥淵es or No,鈥� Hank Levy鈥檚 composition 鈥淒ecoupage,鈥� which was recorded by Stan Kenton, Benny Goodman鈥檚 classic 鈥淪ing, Sing, Sing鈥� and Yoko Kano鈥檚 鈥淭ank鈥� from Cowboy Bebop.
The Jazz Band consists of 21 students and includes saxophonists Ethan Sexton of Evansville, Indiana; Hannah Nix of Almo, Kentucky; Cooper Barnett of Evansville; Sarah Call of Salem, Indiana; and Sam LeMarble of Lexington, Kentucky. On trumpets are Trent Browne of Nashville, Illinois; Austen Kozusek of Ashley, Illinois; Kaitlyn Microsh of Horn Lake, Mississippi; Tim Hanley of Hopkinsville, Kentucky; and Damian Merrell of Nortonsville, Kentucky. On trombones are Payne DeHaven of Elizabethtown, Kentucky; Richard Ramirez of Hopkinsville, Kentucky; Will Sheffer of Paducah, Kentucky; Benjamin Arvin of Crestwood, Kentucky; and Nathan Kasitz of Louisville, Kentucky. The rhythm section is comprised of Frank Newton of Owensboro, Kentucky on piano; Cody Trimmel of Gilbertsville, Kentucky, on guitar; Noah Siegfried of New Baden, Illinois, on bass; Lily Cohoon of Boonville, Indiana, on drums and vibes; John Cinotto of Shelbyville, Kentucky, on drums; and Devin Owens of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, on drums.
The Jazz Orchestra consists of 20 musicians and includes saxophonists Jake Glatczak of Bonne Terre, Missouri; Declan Bingham of Paducah, Kentucky; Nicholas Mehne of Evansville, Indiana; Gavin Jones of Benton, Kentucky; and Cammy Pillow of Evansville, Indiana. On trumpets are Max Welch of Evansville, Indiana; Ryn Jenkins of 糖心logo入口, Kentucky; Bek Schmidt of Memphis, Tennessee; Zack Mitchell of Hopkinsville, Kentucky; and Alyssa Shrader of Sonora, Kentucky. On trombones are Dillon Smith and Jeremiah Morris of 糖心logo入口, Kentucky; Joey Noble of Maryland Heights, Missouri; and Shelby Starks of Benton, Kentucky. Rhythm players are Abbie Tompkins of Madisonville, Kentucky, on piano; Zhou Merchant of Bagdad, Kentucky, on vines and Latin percussion; Preston Frensley of Mayfield, Kentucky, on guitar; Sean Shelton of 糖心logo入口, Kentucky, on bass; and drummer/percussionists Nelson Youngblood IV of Union City, Tennessee, and Evan Carlton of Madisonville, Kentucky.