Axe ’Em, Jacks!
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The acclaimed jazz program at Stephen F. Austin State University will present its first and only live concert of the fall semester from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, behind the Nacogdoches Convention & Visitors Bureau in downtown.
The socially distanced, outdoor concert on Pilar Street is free and open to the public and is a collaborative effort between the SFA School of Music and the Nacogdoches CVB, according to Dr. Deb Scott, professor of trombone and director of the Swingin’ Axes jazz band at SFA. Attendees should bring their own chairs for seating and wear face coverings.
To manage the limited number of people allowed to gather according to CDC guidelines, attendance orders will be received through Eventbrite, an online ticket platform. Access tickets at visitnac.org/backporch-jazz. One ticket will be issued for groups of up to four people who will be seated in the same boxed area on the brick streets behind the CVB. Entrance will be through the CVB building.
On the program are works by Chick Corea, Dizzy Gillespie, Bill Chase, Glen Miller and other jazz greats.
The evening concert will begin with Dr. J.D. Salas, associate professor of tuba and euphonium and director of SFA’s Swingin’ Aces jazz band, conducting a group that will perform Miller’s “In the Mood,” George Gershwin’s “Summertime” and “Killer Joe” by Quincy Jones and Bennie Golson.
Following the opening set, jazz combos, team taught by Scott, Salas and Mike McGowan, adjunct professor of music, will perform. Two different saxophone sections with rhythm section will perform arrangements by the 1970s group Super Sax, which performed the solos of Charlie Parker, harmonized by Med Flory. The groups will perform “Star Eyes” composed by Don Raye and Gene DePaul, and “Ko Ko” and “Moose the Mooch,” both composed by Charlie Parker. Two groups of five trombones with rhythm section will perform jazz standards arranged by College of Fine Arts Dean Dr. A.C. “Buddy” Himes. The arrangements are of “Birdland” by Joe Zawinul, “Spain” by Chick Corea, and “Night in Tunisia” by Dizzy Gillespie. A group of four trumpets with rhythm section will perform “Con Suerte” by Brad Sharp and “Bochawa” by Bill Chase.
The evening will conclude with an impressive big band tune – “Count Bubba’s Revenge” by Gordon Goodwin – performed by the Swingin’ Axes, conducted by Scott.
Due to the pandemic and as a safety measure, the jazz bands have been divided into smaller groups that have been rehearsing throughout the fall semester under the outdoor tents provided by the university on campus.
At the concert, guests will be greeted by volunteers upon entering the CVB, the only recognized entry to the concert, and shown where to place their chairs following social-distancing protocols. Parking is available for vehicles in and around downtown. Naca Valley Vineyard will sell wine inside the CVB, where restrooms are also available. UR Chef food truck will also be on site. In case of inclement weather, the concert will be rescheduled for the same time and location on Nov. 15.
For additional information, contact the School of Music at (936) 468-4602 or CVB at (936) 564-7351.