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Upcoming Jazz Ensemble Concert on November 17th

STEFFENS: Welcome to Great Arts at Eastern. I’m David Steffens, Dean of the College of Fine Arts. Today we preview the upcoming Jazz Ensemble concert. Both the large Jazz Ensemble and the smaller Jazz Ensembles will present a concert on Thursday, November 17th at 7:00 PM and that’s in ENMU Buchanan Hall. I’m joined today by Doctor Richard Schwartz. Dr Schwartz is director of those jazz ensembles as well as professor of saxophone at ENMU. Doctor Schwartz, how would you describe the upcoming concert for an audience?

SCHWARTZ: Thank you, David, you know, we’re going to have an adventurous time on Thursday evening, November 17th. We have a wide variety of jazz tunes. I like you mentioned a large jazz ensemble and two separate jazz combos and if you like jazz, you should come on out. We have tunes by Tad Dameron, Vernon Duke, Wayne Shorter and many more, including Leonard Bernstein.

STEFFENS: That sounds great, and I assume you selected these pieces partly because it would create an enjoyable concert. But maybe you also had student learning in mind. And what do you think students are getting out of this particular set of pieces?

SCHWARTZ: You know me too well as an educator yourself. Yeah. I tried to program a variety of repertoire for this concert, including swing tunes, Latin tunes, also tunes that are maybe a little bit out of the normal spectrum, just for an unusual experience for our students.

STEFFENS: Great. So, in addition to the students performing, you’ve also chosen to include a large number of faculty members in this concert. and the center of the concert is one piece of music with each of the faculty guests. So, you have a flute faculty member Doctor Hartman will perform. You will also perform as a saxophonist. Dr Keeling will be featured as a guest, with trombonist, Doctor Beinlich and Doctor Gallagher, both with voice, featured as soloists. Dr Sidney Schuler featured you know as a trumpet soloist as well. So. How does that work? This does students and the faculty members will collaborate and you’ll feature one faculty member kind of on each work. Is that- is that the right sense of how that’s going to go?

SCHWARTZ: Absolutely. That was my intention from the get go when I was planning this concert. This concert is actually in a way, preparation for an opportunity for our students in January where our university is hosting the New Mexico Jazz Allstate Conference in January and so we are going to perform the same program in January. So, in a way, this is a dress rehearsal for that concert which features all our faculty. It’s a great showcase opportunity.

STEFFENS: And you mentioned the music of Leonard Bernstein, which closes the concert, I believe, and that features student performers as well as a nice sizable group of faculty performers. And it’s, it’s in a jazz spirit, but it’s is it fair to say it’s a composed piece as opposed to an improvised piece?

SCHWARTZ: Absolutely. It’s in three movements. The first movement features the brass and a little percussion. The second movement, entitled Fugue, features the saxophone group and then Riffs brings everyone together for a whirlwind and a happy time.

STEFFENS: And you mentioned the upcoming conference after the start of the New Year and our- was that open to the public as well?

SCHWARTZ: Correct. Both concerts are open to the public and are free.

STEFFENS: And so, this concert, the one we’re previewing today is Thursday, November 17th. Again, that’s at 7:00 PM and Buchanan Hall, it’s free of charge. And the public can attend without tickets, is that right? Just general admission and the doors open.

SCHWARTZ: Absolutely. Come as you are.

STEFFENS: Very good. We hope to see you there. Thank you very much.


Jazz Ensembles Concert

Thursday, November 17th at 7:00 PM

ENMU, Buchanan Hall

FREE OF CHARGE

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  • Join ENMU College of Fine Arts Dr. David Steffens each week on "Great Arts at Eastern," as he interviews artists, actors, entertainers and musicians about their craft and events they produce at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales. "Great Arts at Eastern" airs once a week about 12:35 p.m. MT on Thursdays on KENW–FM.This program also is available online by clicking the title of an individual episode listed below.