An Evening of Jazz on November 13

MANSFIELD, PA—The Mansfield University Music Department will present an evening of jazz, featuring two big bands, two combos and a special appearance by the Mansfieldians, on Sunday, November 13, 7:30 p.m. in Steadman Theatre. The concert is free and open to the public.
The Jazz Lab Band is in its fourth year at Mansfield and will be presenting a diverse program ranging from traditional big band repertoire to jazz adaptations of modern popular songs.
They will kick off the show with the Woody Herman classic Four Brothers, a staple in the Herman library for years, having been written to feature his outstanding sax section. The Lab Band sax section consists of Deanna Stevens, Patti Spisak, Mike Gorzelsky, Keely Bedner and Diamond Brown..
The ballad, In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning, will be next one the concert.
The Chuck Sayre original blues, Keepin’ Track of the Time, gives every section of the band a solo spot. Several soloists will be featured as well, including Mike Gorzelsky on tenor, Deanna Stevens and Patti Spisak on alto, Nick Goldkrantz and Bryan Carr on trumpet, trombonist Dave Vet and the rhythm section; Jen Bolinger on piano, Corey Rader on bass and drummer John Conover.
The Lab Band will conclude their set with a hard driving samba by Mike Steinel, Samba de los Gatos.
The music of Miles Davis will be featured by two MU combos. “Miles Davis was perhaps the most pivotal figure in jazz over the second half of the 20th Century,” Jazz Ensemble Director Michael Galloway said. “Tunes from two of his most famous and influential recordings will be heard. First from the album Birth of the Cool, you will hear Godchild. This recording ushered in the era of ‘cool’ or ‘West Coast’ jazz, a more laid back reaction to the emotional excesses of bebop. Miles lead a unique group consisting of trumpet, trombone, French horn, tuba, alto and bari sax and rhythm section. The second and perhaps even more important album is Kind of Blue. A great many jazz musicians name this single album as the reason they got interested in jazz. So What, which you will hear on the 13th is probably the single most performed tune from that historic album.”
The Jazz Ensemble will close out the show. Their set will include their recent commission, Kim Richmond’s Cease and Desist featuring Chris Simmons on trumpet.
Alto saxophonist Deanna Lemmon will be featured on another Kim Richmond tune, Funny Valentine. “It is different and it is gorgeous,” Galloway said.
Several members of the band will be soloing on Howie Smith’s Amphibology. “Smith has split the brass into two sections, three trumpets and three trombones with their characteristic straight-ahead sound and two flugelhorns, euphonium and tuba which provide a mellow contrast,” Galloway said. “Great color and an interesting unusual chart.”
The band will conclude its set with a Bob Washut samba, Bighorn. Soloists include Glen DeGeorge on trombone and pianist Hanako Henty.
Next spring, the Jazz Ensemble and the Mansfieldians will be going to Edinburgh, Scotland and London, England on their first international tour. The Mansfieldians, directed by Sheryl Monkelien, will join the Jazz Ensemble to perform On A Clear Day to end the concert.
“This is a great chart, recorded by the famous New York Voices,” Galloway said. “It was a real hit on their recent tour and was one of the tunes they recorded following their tour. It is certain to be on their next CD.”
Copies of the Jazz Ensemble and Mansfieldians two CDs, Hourglass and the recently released Smack Dab in the Middle, will be on sale before and after the concert. All proceeds will go towards supporting jazz at Mansfield and to help defray the student’s expenses for the spring break trip.
The Mansfield University jazz ensembles are all supported in part through Student Activity Fees.