天美传媒

MURRAY, Ky. 鈥� Recently-renovated Lovett Auditorium will host the 天美传媒 Jazz Ensembles for "Swing into Spring 2023" at 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 4. The concert is free and open to the public. The groups are directed by Dr. Todd E. Hill, professor of Music and director of Jazz Studies at 天美传媒.

At 6:30 p.m., the Jazz Combo 鈥淭entette鈥� will focus on small group style and feature improvisation. Selections will include Dizzy Gillespie鈥檚 鈥淲oody n鈥� You (Algo Bueno)鈥� and 鈥淐on Alma,鈥� John Coltrane鈥檚 鈥淏lue Train鈥� and 鈥淢oment鈥檚 Notice,鈥� and Thelonious Monk鈥檚 鈥淓pistrophy鈥� and 鈥淲ell, You Needn鈥檛.鈥� 

The Tentette includes:

Bek Schmidt (trumpet) of Memphis, Tennessee

Caleb Dries (alto sax) of Louisville, Kentucky

Declan Bingham (tenor sax) of Paducah, Kentucky

Corey White (tenor sax) of Hamilton, New Jersey

Devin Richards (baritone sax) of Benton, Kentucky

Clay Barnard (piano) of Nixa, Missouri

John Sowers (guitar) of Lancaster, Kentucky

Sean Howell (bass) of Mayfield, Kentucky

Nelson Youngblood IV (drums/percussion) of Union City, Tennessee

Evan Carlton (drums/percussion) of Madisonville, Kentucky

The 天美传媒 Jazz Band will come to the stage to open the Big Band portion of the program beginning at 7:30 p.m. The band will perform five big band classics for their program: 鈥淭he Opener鈥� by Carl Strommen, 鈥淗arlem Nocturne鈥� by Earle Hagen, 鈥淲oodchopper鈥檚 Ball鈥� by Woody Herman, 鈥淭he Golden Horns,鈥� a trombone section feature by Dick Fenno, and 鈥淏irdland鈥� composed by Joe Zawinul and featured by the 1970s jazz fusion group 鈥淲eather Report.鈥� 

The band consists of 20 students and includes the following:

Saxophonists are Jake Glatczak (Desloge, Missouri), Noah Baker (Mayfield, Kentucky), Briah Cook (Paducah, Kentucky), Cooper Barnett and Rachel Price (Evansville, Indiana). 

Trumpets are Alyssa Shrader (Henderson, Kentucky), Austin Kosuszek (Ashley, Illinois), Maddie Beck (Mayfield, Kentucky), Frank Newton (Owensboro, Kentucky), Macy Barron (Paris, Tennessee) and Ben Sauls (Evansville, Indiana). 

Trombones are Shelby Starks (Benton, Kentucky), Aaron Yocum (Utica, Kentucky), Austin Wright (Hopkinsville, Kentucky), and Ethan Pennycuick (Eureka, Missouri). 

The rhythm section is Grey Scott, piano (Paducah, Kentucky), Gavin Miller Watkins, guitar (Hartford, Kentucky), Tim Lewis, bass (Paducah, Kentucky), Lily Cohoon, drums (Boonville, Indiana) and Devin Owens, drums (Elizabethtown, Kentucky).

After a short intermission to change sets, the award-winning 天美传媒 Jazz Orchestra will perform Count Basie's "The Magic Flea," Tommy Dorsey鈥檚 version of 鈥淥n the Sunny Side of the Street鈥� arranged by Sy Oliver, Charlie Parker鈥檚 鈥淛ust Friends鈥� as arranged for Supersax by Med Flory,  Duke Ellington鈥檚 recorded version of 鈥淭he Royal Garden Blues鈥� arranged by Billy Strayhorn, and 鈥淪ir Duke,鈥� written in tribute to Ellington by Stevie Wonder. A string trio will be added for 鈥淪unny Side鈥� and 鈥淛ust Friends.鈥� After a brief set change, senior saxophonist Liam Newman, a four-year Jazz Orchestra member from Wildwood, Missouri will perform 鈥淕eorgia On My Mind鈥� as a feature. The orchestra will then perform Stan Kenton鈥檚 version of Billy Strayhorn鈥檚 鈥淟ush Life鈥� featuring Hill at the piano and senior Luke Weatherly on trombone, and close with a jazz fusion classic 鈥淪ome Skunk Funk鈥� from the Brecker Brothers鈥� 鈥淗eavy Metal Bebop鈥� album.  

The orchestra consists of 24 musicians and includes:

Saxophonists Caleb Dries (Louisville, Kentucky), Declan Bingham (Paducah, Kentucky), Nicholas Mehne (Evansville, Indiana), Gavin Jones and Devin Richards (Benton, Kentucky) and Liam Newman (Wildwood, Missouri).

Trumpets are Max Welch (Evansville, Indiana), McKenna Jewel (Murray, Kentucky), Bek Schmidt (Memphis, Tennessee), Max Brueggeman (Belleville, Illinois) and David Kidd (Henderson, Kentucky). 

Trombones are Luke Weatherly (Paris, Tennessee), Joey Noble (Maryland Heights, Missouri), Dillon Smith and Jeremiah Morris (Murray, Kentucky) and Aaron Beach (Paducah, Kentucky). 

Rhythm players are Amberly Tilford, piano (Paducah, Kentucky), Preston Frensley, (Mayfield, Kentucky), Sean Shelton, bass (Murray, Kentucky), and drummer/percussionists Nelson Youngblood (Union City, Tennessee) and Evan Carlton (Madisonville, Kentucky). 

Strings are Lydia Sahawneh (violin) of Boaz, Kentucky, Tim Lewis (violin) and Grey Scott (viola) of Boaz, Kentucky.

  

The concert will be recorded and broadcast at a later date on WKMS 91.3 FM.