Fall jazz concerts to take place at Murray State University on Nov. 7

MURRAY, Ky. – The award-winning Murray State University Jazz Ensembles will present their fall Campus Concerts on Thursday, Nov. 7 in historic Lovett Auditorium. The Blue and Gold Jazz Combos program will begin at 6 p.m. followed by the Jazz Band and Jazz Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. The concerts are free and open to the public. Professor of Music Dr. Todd E. Hill is in his 19th year as director of jazz studies at Murray State, and directs all of the groups.

At 6 p.m., the Murray State Gold Jazz Combo will perform a collection of small group classics including Charlie Parker’s “Now’s the Time” and “My Little Suede Shoes” along with Nat Adderley’s “Work Song.” The Gold Combo has an unusual instrumentation that includes Macy Barron (trumpet) of Paris, Tennessee; Colton Vaught (alto sax) of Hartford, Kentucky; Cammy Pillow (baritone sax) of Evansville, Indiana; Sam LeMarble (baritone sax) of Murray, Kentucky; Noah Schneider (bass) of Madisonville, Kentucky; Caleb Dries (piano) of Louisville, Kentucky; and Eli Vowels (drums) of Henderson, Kentucky. 

The Blue Jazz Combo will follow immediately with an advanced repertoire that includes “Seven Steps to Heaven” and “Milestones” by Miles Davis, “Yesterdays” by Jerome Kern, “Take the ‘A’ Train” by Billy Strayhorn, “Just Squeeze Me” by Duke Ellington, and Weather Report’s “Havona” by bassist Jaco Pastorius. Members of the Blue Combo are Bek Schmidt (trumpet) of Memphis, Tennessee; Dries and Chris Gissendaner (both alto sax) of Louisville, Kentucky; Declan Bingham (tenor sax) of Paducah, Kentucky; Gavin Jones (tenor sax) of Benton, Kentucky; Lydia Sahawneh (piano) of Paducah, Kentucky; Cody Trimmel (guitar) of Gilbertsville, Kentucky; Sean Howell (bass) of Mayfield, Kentucky; and Austin Kozuszek (drums) of Ashley, Illinois. Following the combos there will be a brief interval for setting up. 

At 7:30, the Big Bands will take the stage. The Murray State Jazz Band will be performing a number of big band classics and standards including Bob Haggart and Ray Bauduc’s “South Rampart Street Parade” featured with the Bob Crosby Band, Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “One Note Samba,” Patti Bown’s composition “G’won Train” that was featured by Quincy Jones, a Basie-styled version of Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer’s “Moon River,” a 1970s rock hit by the Ides of March, “Vehicle,” and a tribute to the recently passed Benny Golson on his “Along Came Betty.” Members of the Murray State Jazz Band are saxophonists Ethan Sexton of Lexington, Kentucky, Hannah Nix and Sam LeMarble of Murray, Kentucky, Xander Slover of Cadiz, Kentucky, and Allison Dennison of Harrisburg, Illinois. Trumpets are Kaitlyn Microsh of Horn Lake, Mississippi, Wyatt Williams and Tim Hanley of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, Maxxwell Stobaugh of Madisonville, Kentucky, Sara Archey and Nick Payton of Murray, Kentucky. Trombones are Bryson Barger of Murray, Kentucky, Benny Arvin of Crestwood, Kentucky, Cooper Barnet of Evansville, Indiana and bass trombone Ethan Pennycuick of Eureka, Missouri. Members of the rhythm section are pianist Frank Newton of Owensboro, Kentucky, guitarist Aiden Sexton of Murray, Kentucky, bassists Noah Siegfried of New Baden, Illinois and Norah Lucas of Louisville, Kentucky, Noah Schneider of Madisonville, Kentucky on vibes, and percussionists Maddie Beck of Mayfield, Kentucky and Devin Owens of Elizabethtown, Kentucky. 

The Murray State Jazz Orchestra will close the program with a widely varied repertoire including Duke Ellington’s “Cottontail,” Gordon Goodwin’s “Hit the Ground Running,” Woody Herman’s “Come Rain or Come Shine,” Bill Watrous’ “A Time for Love,” Med Flory’s Supersax version of “Parker’s Mood,” Lionel Hampton’s “Flying Home,” Thad Jones’ “Big Dipper,” and Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground.” Members of the Jazz Orchestra include saxophonists Caleb Dries and Chris Gissendaner of Louisville, Kentucky, Gavin Jones of Benton, Kentucky, Declan Bingham of Paducah, Kentucky, Nick Mehne and Cammy Pillow of Evansville, Indiana. Trumpets are Max Welch of Evansville, Indiana, Bek Schmidt of Memphis, Tennessee, Zack Mitchell of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, Alyssa Schrader of Elizabethtown, Kentucky and Trent Browne of Nashville, Illinois. Trombones are Dillon Smith and Jeremiah Morris of Murray, Kentucky, Will Sheffer of Paducah, Kentucky and bass trombone Jared Chance-Martin of Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Rhythm section members are pianist Abbie Tompkins of Madisonville, Kentucky, guitarist Cody Trimmel of Mayfield, Kentucky, vibraphonist Zhou Merchant of Shelbyville, Kentucky, bassists Brianna Talty of Fishers, Indiana and Sean Howell of Mayfield, Kentucky and percussionists J.L. Cinotto of Shelbyville, Kentucky and Evan Carlton of Madisonville, Kentucky.

Under Hill's leadership, during the past 19 years the Murray State Jazz Orchestra has produced five album releases, performed by invitation four times at the famed Elmhurst College Jazz Festival (winning “Outstanding Big Band” along with a plethora of soloist awards) and the prestigious MidWest International Band Clinic in Chicago. The Jazz Orchestra has performed by invitation at the Kentucky Music Educators Association (KMEA) Conference as a featured group for the state's music teachers a record five times since 2006. Hill was awarded KMEA’s “Outstanding University Professor” of the year in 2016.