Axe ’Em, Jacks!
NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS - The Stephen F. Austin State University jazz bands, the Swingin' Axes and Swingin' Aces, will present a joint concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.
Under the direction of Deb Scott, SFA assistant professor of trombone, the Swingin' Aces will open the concert with a varied program of works, including "Inside Out" by Matt Harris and "Basie's Buddy" by John LaBarbera.
"We will also play tunes the audience will recognize because of artists who have recorded them," Scott said.
These include William Russo's "23 Degrees North, 82 Degrees West," recorded by Stan Kenton; Cleo Henry's "Boplicity," recorded by Miles Davis; and "Attitude Dance" by Stephen Kupka and Emilio Castillo, recorded by Tower of Power.
The Swingin' Axes' portion of the program will appeal to a wide audience, said director Gary Wurtz, SFA associate professor of trumpet. "We will play swing band classics such as Stan Kenton's 'Theme and Variations,' Count Basie's 'April in Paris' and 'Splanky' and a beautiful rendition of Billie Holiday's 'God Bless the Child' that showcases Forney junior Todd Rogers on the trombone.
The band will also debut a new singer with the group, Danya Salinas, Plano senior, on Gordon Goodwin's arrangement of "Too Close for Comfort." Aledo senior Wes Peart, saxophone, will be featured on an arrangement of Chick Corea's "Got a Match?" originally performed by the University of North Texas One O'Clock Lab Band.
The concert is a joint presentation of the SFA College of Fine Arts and School of Music. Cole Concert Hall is located at 2210 Alumni Dr. Tickets are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $2 for students. For tickets or more information, please visit www.sfasu.edu/finearts or call (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS.