天美传媒

MURRAY, Ky. 鈥� The award-winning 天美传媒 Jazz Ensembles will present their fall Campus Concerts on Thursday, Nov. 7 in historic Lovett Auditorium. The Blue and Gold Jazz Combos program will begin at 6 p.m. followed by the Jazz Band and Jazz Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. The concerts are free and open to the public. Professor of Music Dr. Todd E. Hill is in his 19th year as director of jazz studies at 天美传媒, and directs all of the groups.

At 6 p.m., the 天美传媒 Gold Jazz Combo will perform a collection of small group classics including Charlie Parker鈥檚 鈥淣ow鈥檚 the Time鈥� and 鈥淢y Little Suede Shoes鈥� along with Nat Adderley鈥檚 鈥淲ork Song.鈥� The Gold Combo has an unusual instrumentation that includes Macy Barron (trumpet) of Paris, Tennessee; Colton Vaught (alto sax) of Hartford, Kentucky; Cammy Pillow (baritone sax) of Evansville, Indiana; Sam LeMarble (baritone sax) of Murray, Kentucky; Noah Schneider (bass) of Madisonville, Kentucky; Caleb Dries (piano) of Louisville, Kentucky; and Eli Vowels (drums) of Henderson, Kentucky. 

The Blue Jazz Combo will follow immediately with an advanced repertoire that includes 鈥淪even Steps to Heaven鈥� and 鈥淢ilestones鈥� by Miles Davis, 鈥淵esterdays鈥� by Jerome Kern, 鈥淭ake the 鈥楢鈥� Train鈥� by Billy Strayhorn, 鈥淛ust Squeeze Me鈥� by Duke Ellington, and Weather Report鈥檚 鈥淗avona鈥� by bassist Jaco Pastorius. Members of the Blue Combo are Bek Schmidt (trumpet) of Memphis, Tennessee; Dries and Chris Gissendaner (both alto sax) of Louisville, Kentucky; Declan Bingham (tenor sax) of Paducah, Kentucky; Gavin Jones (tenor sax) of Benton, Kentucky; Lydia Sahawneh (piano) of Paducah, Kentucky; Cody Trimmel (guitar) of Gilbertsville, Kentucky; Sean Howell (bass) of Mayfield, Kentucky; and Austin Kozuszek (drums) of Ashley, Illinois. Following the combos there will be a brief interval for setting up. 

At 7:30, the Big Bands will take the stage. The 天美传媒 Jazz Band will be performing a number of big band classics and standards including Bob Haggart and Ray Bauduc鈥檚 鈥淪outh Rampart Street Parade鈥� featured with the Bob Crosby Band, Antonio Carlos Jobim鈥檚 鈥淥ne Note Samba,鈥� Patti Bown鈥檚 composition 鈥淕鈥檞on Train鈥� that was featured by Quincy Jones, a Basie-styled version of Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer鈥檚 鈥淢oon River,鈥� a 1970s rock hit by the Ides of March, 鈥淰ehicle,鈥� and a tribute to the recently passed Benny Golson on his 鈥淎long Came Betty.鈥� Members of the 天美传媒 Jazz Band are saxophonists Ethan Sexton of Lexington, Kentucky, Hannah Nix and Sam LeMarble of Murray, Kentucky, Xander Slover of Cadiz, Kentucky, and Allison Dennison of Harrisburg, Illinois. Trumpets are Kaitlyn Microsh of Horn Lake, Mississippi, Wyatt Williams and Tim Hanley of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, Maxxwell Stobaugh of Madisonville, Kentucky, Sara Archey and Nick Payton of Murray, Kentucky. Trombones are Bryson Barger of Murray, Kentucky, Benny Arvin of Crestwood, Kentucky, Cooper Barnet of Evansville, Indiana and bass trombone Ethan Pennycuick of Eureka, Missouri. Members of the rhythm section are pianist Frank Newton of Owensboro, Kentucky, guitarist Aiden Sexton of Murray, Kentucky, bassists Noah Siegfried of New Baden, Illinois and Norah Lucas of Louisville, Kentucky, Noah Schneider of Madisonville, Kentucky on vibes, and percussionists Maddie Beck of Mayfield, Kentucky and Devin Owens of Elizabethtown, Kentucky. 

The 天美传媒 Jazz Orchestra will close the program with a widely varied repertoire including Duke Ellington鈥檚 鈥淐ottontail,鈥� Gordon Goodwin鈥檚 鈥淗it the Ground Running,鈥� Woody Herman鈥檚 鈥淐ome Rain or Come Shine,鈥� Bill Watrous鈥� 鈥淎 Time for Love,鈥� Med Flory鈥檚 Supersax version of 鈥淧arker鈥檚 Mood,鈥� Lionel Hampton鈥檚 鈥淔lying Home,鈥� Thad Jones鈥� 鈥淏ig Dipper,鈥� and Stevie Wonder鈥檚 鈥淗igher Ground.鈥� Members of the Jazz Orchestra include saxophonists Caleb Dries and Chris Gissendaner of Louisville, Kentucky, Gavin Jones of Benton, Kentucky, Declan Bingham of Paducah, Kentucky, Nick Mehne and Cammy Pillow of Evansville, Indiana. Trumpets are Max Welch of Evansville, Indiana, Bek Schmidt of Memphis, Tennessee, Zack Mitchell of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, Alyssa Schrader of Elizabethtown, Kentucky and Trent Browne of Nashville, Illinois. Trombones are Dillon Smith and Jeremiah Morris of Murray, Kentucky, Will Sheffer of Paducah, Kentucky and bass trombone Jared Chance-Martin of Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Rhythm section members are pianist Abbie Tompkins of Madisonville, Kentucky, guitarist Cody Trimmel of Mayfield, Kentucky, vibraphonist Zhou Merchant of Shelbyville, Kentucky, bassists Brianna Talty of Fishers, Indiana and Sean Howell of Mayfield, Kentucky and percussionists J.L. Cinotto of Shelbyville, Kentucky and Evan Carlton of Madisonville, Kentucky.

Under Hill's leadership, during the past 19 years the 天美传媒 Jazz Orchestra has produced five album releases, performed by invitation four times at the famed Elmhurst College Jazz Festival (winning 鈥淥utstanding Big Band鈥� along with a plethora of soloist awards) and the prestigious MidWest International Band Clinic in Chicago. The Jazz Orchestra has performed by invitation at the Kentucky Music Educators Association (KMEA) Conference as a featured group for the state's music teachers a record five times since 2006. Hill was awarded KMEA鈥檚 鈥淥utstanding University Professor鈥� of the year in 2016.