The Hope College Jazz Arts Collective and the West Ottawa High School Jazz I ensemble will present a combined concert on Monday, Nov. 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the Concert Hall of the Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts.
The public is invited. Admission is free.
Pieces to be performed by the Jazz Arts Collective will include “Roy Allan,” by Roy Hargrove; “The Moment,” by Jordan VanHemert; and “Cool Blues,” by Charlie Parker. The West Ottawa High School Jazz I ensemble will perform “Doozy,” by Benny Carter; “Pyramid,” by Duke Ellington; “St. Thomas,” by Sonny Rollins; and “Better Get Hit in Your Soul,” by Charles Mingus. Together, the two groups will perform “The Spirit is Willing,” by Sammy Nestico.
Directed by Michael Hamann, West Ottawa’s award-winning Jazz I ensemble has twice been featured at the Michigan Music Conference as an outstanding high school big band. The ensemble has been honored the Outstanding Band, Class AA at Central Michigan University’s Jazz Weekend on two occasions, and has also garnered several Best Section and Best Soloist awards at CMU’s festival. The band regularly hosts guest artists who hold clinics and perform with Jazz I.
Directed by Jordan VanHemert, the Jazz Arts Collective is the premier large jazz ensemble at Hope College. The collective places a creative focus on ensemble communication and improvisation. Consisting of a rhythm section and flexible wind/string instrumentation, this select group performs compositions and arrangements from across the full spectrum of music. The 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 Jazz Arts Collective frequently performs commissions, works by emerging young composers and originals by Hope College faculty and students.
Audience members who need assistance to fully enjoy any event at Hope are encouraged to contact the college's Events and Conferences Office by emailing events@hope.edu or calling 616-395-7222 on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts is located at 221 Columbia Ave., between Ninth and 10th streets.