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Jazz Ensemble will present its fall concert 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 8 in the Williams Center for the Arts auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.
Under the direction of Ken Brader, the group will play a variety of pieces that will feature Brader and several student musicians.
Featured performers during the concert will be trumpet players Brader, biology major Nathaniel H. Newman’09 (Fairmont, W.Va.), and Maxwell Minckler ’10 (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.). David Myers ’07 (Rockville Centre, N.Y.), a double major in government & law and history, and Abra Berkowitz ’09 (Sharon, Mass.), an English major, will be featured on tenor saxophone. Timothy Zirkel ’08(Honey Brook, Pa.), who is pursuing B.S. degrees in mathematics and computer science, will be featured on trombone, and Patrick D. Kelley ’09 (Shillington, Pa.), a mathematics major, will be featured on bass.
Jazz Ensemble will perform “Yo Tannenbaum” and “Cut and Run” by Gordon Goodwin, “Time Check” by Don Menza, “Shenandoah” arranged by Tony Nalker of the U.S. Army Blues Jazz Ensemble, “You Only Live Twice” arranged by music graduate Jack Furlong ’05, and a tribute to Maynard Ferguson entitled “Foxhunt” featuring Brader and Vince Pettinelli in a trumpet duet.
“Music is culture, and jazz music is more specifically American culture,” says Brader. “Jazz is an art form of communication and musical expression. This is a vital experience for those that participate. We are blessed with students at Lafayette who are both talented and interested to develop their musical [skills] while they are here.
“The students of the Jazz Ensemble have been working hard to prepare for this performance. Some of this music is very demanding and challenging for the players, but should be enjoyable for the audience as well.”