The new Downtown Live Concert Series kicks off the 2018-19 season with the MCC Wind Ensemble, MCC Jazz Ensemble, and the Truth in Jazz Orchestra on Wednesday, Oct. 24, at the Frauenthal Center, 426 W. Western Ave.
Tickets for the concert, which begins at 7:30 p.m., are $8 for adults and $2 for students. Tickets are available online at https://www.startickets.com/events/item/mcc-wind-jazz-ensemble-concert
Directed by Daniel M. Meyers, the Wind Ensemble will perform five selections. The Jazz Ensemble, directed by Patrick Parrish, will play four pieces. The Truth in Jazz Orchestra, fronted by West Michigan’s legendary drummer Tim Froncek and including many of the area’s top musicians, will be performing music from the traditional Big Band repertoire.
The Wind Ensemble will perform:
- “Dusk” by Steven Bryant, a simple, chorale-like work that captures the reflective calm of dusk, paradoxically illuminated by the fiery hues of sunset;
- “The Liberty Bell” by John Philip Sousa and arranged by Keith Brion and Loras Schissel, an authentic edition of the famous classic march;
- “Within These Hallowed Halls” by James Swearington, a stirring arrangement of beloved hymns “Amazing Grace” and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”;
- “Enchanted Spaces” by Samuel R. Hazo, a shimmering composition embodying quaint majesty with a full ensemble entrance that gives way to musical painting of vast spaces and natural beauty, and
- “In Paths of Truth and Grace” arranged by Randall D. Standridge, a wonderful work based on the hymn “My Shepherd Will Supply My Need.”
The Jazz Ensemble will perform:
- “Green Onions” by Booker T. & the M.G.’s, an instrumental twelve-bar blues tune with a rippling Hammond M3 organ line that has been called “one of the most popular instrumental rock and soul songs ever”;
- “Killer Joe” by Benny Golson, a quintessential “cool” jazz swing tune;
- “Moon River” by Johnny Mercer and Henry Mancini and arranged by Rick Stitzel, a timeless song from the film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” that over the decades has become an American classic; and
- “Splanky” by Neal Hefti, who wrote this classic swinger for Count Basie and his Orchestra.
The Downtown Live Concert Series features 14 events between October 2018 and May 2019. For a complete listing, visit www.muskegoncc.edu/downtownlive