Ouachita Stories

The Ouachita Jazz Band will present a fall concert under the direction of Dr. Craig Hamilton on Monday, Nov. 24, at 7:30 p.m. in the Jones Performing Arts Center on the campus of Ouachita Baptist University. The concert is free and open to the public.

The concert will open with Lennie Niehous’s arrangement of “A Wonderful Day Like Today,” followed by “SoCal Samba” by Les Sabina and “Across the Heart” by Dave Hanson. The program continues with John Clayton’s arrangement of “Jingle Bells,” followed by Tom Garling’s “And Another Thing…” and Lars Halle’s “Just Chattin’.

Next, vocal soloist Leslyn Ichter will join the band on Roger Holmes’ arrangement of Jerome Kern’s “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man.” Ichter, a junior choral music education major from Conway, Ark., will also join the band on “A Wonderful Day Like Today” and “Jingle Bells,” as sung by Diana Krall. Jon Cole, a senior music major from Dallas, will be featured as a trumpet soloist on “Across the Heart.”

The concert will continue with Lars Halle’s “Samba Facil,” Les Hooper’s “Bop World,” Matt Harris’ “Prayer Meetin’” and Jeff Jarvis’ “Critical Mass.” The show will conclude with “Vamos a Bailar” by Doug Beach.

Featured saxophone soloists are: Alex Goff, a freshman music theory and composition major from Bryant, Ark.; Alissa Hill, a sophomore instrumental music education major from Bella Vista, Ark.; Brian Matney, a sophomore church music major from Gravette, Ark.; and Cyrus Morris, a freshman instrumental music education major from Katy, Texas.

Other featured instrumental soloists include: Craig Denison, a sophomore instrumental music education major from Dallas, and Matt Gudino, a senior instrumental music education major from Little Rock, trumpet; Vince DiCarlo, a sophomore music major from Azle, Texas, trombone; Brandon Knight, a sophomore Christian ministries major from Searcy, Ark., guitar; Kristin Cordell, a senior piano performance major from Fort Smith, Ark., and Joe Anderson, a sophomore music major from Hot Springs, Ark., piano; and Alan Thomas, a senior music major from Redfield, Ark., drums.

Other members of the Jazz Band are: Emily Duncan, a junior instrumental music education major from Marion, Ark., tenor saxophone; Leslie Monk, a senior biology major from El Paso, Texas, and Channing Mullino, a freshman from Mesquite, Texas, trumpet; Michael Proctor, a freshman church music major from Arlington, Texas, and Ashley McCarty, a freshman music major from Benton, Ark., trombone; Cameron Jones, a freshman music major from Fort Worth, Texas, bass trombone; Jody Lee, a senior musical theatre major from Arlington, Texas, and Tyler Kemp, a freshman music theory and composition major from Bolivar, Mo., bass guitar; and Mike Kizzar, a junior biology major from Danville, Calif.

by Brooke Showalter