The Hope College Jazz Arts Collective and two jazz combos will perform on Thursday, Feb. 19, at 7:30 p.m. in Dimnent Memorial Chapel.

The public is invited. Admission is free.

The Jazz Arts Collective will be presenting original music composed by student members of the ensemble and faculty director Steve Talaga.  The works include:

“Notturno,” loosely based on a piano piece by Norwegian composer Edvard Greig, by sophomore vocalist Jamie Baarman of Holland;

“Slip Away,” loosely based on a piece by American singer-songwriter Josh Garrels, by senior saxophonist Matthew Milliken of Roscommon;

“Reflexoes,” filled with Latin American rhythms and meant to bring warmth to the stage, by junior keyboardist Colin Rensch of Kalamazoo;

and “Prism III,” the third movement of a suite written to fulfill a commission from the Grand Valley State University Faculty Jazz Ensemble, by Talaga.

Hope College’s premier large jazz ensemble, the Jazz Arts Collective emphasizes improvisation and musical communication within the group. The uniqueness of the group comes from the fact that unlike a traditional band, the Jazz Arts Collective does not have a set instrumentation. Comprised of a rhythm section and flexible wind and string instrumentation, this select group performs compositions and arrangements from across the full spectrum of music.  The Jazz Arts Collective’s repertoire ranges from the great historical jazz composers such as Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus, to works by modern jazz masters like Vince Mendoza, Jim McNeely and John Hollenbeck. The ensemble also collectively reinterprets and re-imagines the music from the 20th century classical repertoire. The Jazz Arts Collective frequently performs commissions, works by emerging young composers, and originals by Hope faculty and students.

In addition to Baarman, Millikin and Rensch, the students in the ensemble are: junior Palmer D'Orazio of Clarkston, saxophones; junior Carsten Forrester of Holland, bass; senior Michael Graverson of Hamilton, guitar; freshman Quinn Humphrey of Byron Center, drums; sophomore Hilary Hunsberger of Fennville, saxophones; sophomore Josiah Panning of Holland, percussion; and senior Andrew Valesano of Sherwood, Oregon, piano.

The jazz combos that will be performing will be directed by faculty members Paul Wesselink and Robert Hodson.

Dimnent Memorial Chapel is located at 277 College Ave., on College Avenue at 12th Street.