Office of Communications

Contact: Laura Hanna

Director of Communications

Office: (817) 531-4498

lhanna@txwes.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WESLEYAN JAZZ BRINGS THE SWING

The Wesleyan Jazz Band dances along this fall with its Big Band-style swing concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, in Martin Hall. The performance is free and open to the public. Under the direction of assistant professor Dr. Bryan English, the concert will incorporate symphonic wind instruments with the standard jazz band to reproduce the sounds of the swing-band era.

The concert repertoire will include some jazz classics such as In The Mood by the Glenn Miller Band, All of Me, and Strike up the Band from Count Basie’s own library. The concert will also include a work arranged by big band era composer Sammy Nestico, and an original composition by Tarrant County College jazz director Rick Stitzel entitled Samba de los Iguanas. Also featured in the show will be guest saxophone soloist Corey Bell, a piece composed by the University of North Texas’ One O’Clock Lab Band director Neil Slater, and sophomore music major Jeremy Smith will provide the vocals on two swing era favorites.

The program has enough swing to get everyone up out of their chairs and dancing. Under the direction of Dr. English since the fall of 2004, the Jazz Band has performed numerous concerts incorporating different aspects of jazz style.

Martin Hall was renovated with the generous gifts of Nicholas and Louella Martin and reopened in October 2002. Now, the 600-seat hall is the music department’s premier performance space, hosting concerts, recitals and University and community events. Martin Hall is located at 1309 Wesleyan St. at the northeast corner of Rosedale Street and Wesleyan Street on the Texas Wesleyan University historic campus in east Fort Worth. Free parking is available on campus.

For more details, contact the Department of Music at (817) 531-4992 or visit http://department.txwes.edu/mus/.