Caine School of the Arts presents Utah State University’s Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Orchestra playing in the Big Band Concert Wednesday, Dec. 2, in the Performance Hall on the USU campus (approximately 1090 E. 675 North, Logan).

 

Tickets are available at the Caine School of the Arts Box Office in the Chase Fine Arts Center, FA 138-B, 435-797-8022, or online and are $8 for adults and free to USU students with a valid ID. Tickets are also available at the door.

 

The concert is dedicated to jazz standards and features three guest artists — USU’s own Corey Christiansen on guitar and violinist Mark Emile, and from the East Coast, special guest Jack Wilkins on tenor saxophone. The evening’s entertainment is coordinated Jon Gudmundson, director of jazz studies in the department of music and director of the USU Jazz Orchestra.

 

The evening kicks off with the USU Jazz Ensemble, directed by music department faculty member Todd Fallis, opening with the Count Basie favorite Straight Ahead, featuring pianist Chris Saunders and saxophonist Skyler Smith. Bone Case Full of Blues features the entire trombone section in an upbeat blues number by John Berry. Bob Mintzer’s 80s rock funk chart One Man Band features Corey Christiansen on guitar. Guest Artist Jack Wilkins follows with superb tenor saxophone work on three standards; Blue Train, Sugar and Sonnymoon for Two. Finally, both Christiansen and Wilkins join the ensemble for an upbeat shuffle rendition of Horace Silver’s Filthy McNasty.

 

The USU Jazz Orchestra, under Gudmundson’s direction, will perform a wide range of pieces, from the old, such as Billy Strayhorn’s exquisite Isfahan and the Rosemary Clooney novelty number Mambo Italiano, to Chuck Owen’s arrangement of Michael Brecker’s Itsbynne Reel.

 

“Our guest artist, tenor saxophonist Jack Wilkins, just appeared on a tribute album dedicated to the memory of the great Michael Brecker,” said Gudmundson. “In fact, the album, by Chuck Owen’s Jazz Surge Big Band, was just reviewed very favorably in Jazz Times magazine, and Itsbynne Reel and Wilkins were singled out for special praise in the review. It’s pretty cool that the Jazz Orchestra will be able to perform this very arrangement along with Wilkins at this concert. It’s a difficult arrangement, but very fun to play, and we also get to have Corey Christiansen and Mark Emile along for the ride, so we are really looking forward to this show.”

 

The Caine School of the Arts at USU presents more than 200 events each academic year. For information on upcoming events presented by Caine School of the Arts, visit its Web site.

 

 

Writer: Sally Okelberry, 435-797-1500; sally.okelberry@usu.edu