Ouachita Stories

Ouachita Baptist University’s School of Fine Arts will present Ouachita’s Jazz Band in concert Monday, Nov. 23, at 7:30 p.m. in Jones Performing Arts Center on Ouachita’s campus. The concert is open to the public, and admission is free. A live webcast of the concert will also appear at www.obu.edu/band.

The concert will be conducted by Dr. Craig V. Hamilton, professor of music and director of bands at Ouachita Baptist University. “We will be playing many different styles of music including swing, Latin, rock and blues,” Hamilton said. “We hope everyone will come to our concert and enjoy an evening of jazz by the Ouachita Jazz Band.”

The band will play a variety of pieces including Erik Morales’ “Out of the Doghouse,” Mark Taylor’s arrangement of Dizzy Gillespie’s “Salt Peanuts,” Lennie Niehaus’ “Beantown Blues” and Sammy Nestico’s arrangement of Cole Porter’s “Easy to Love.” They will also perform Jack Cooper’s arrangement of Burton Lane’s “On a Clear Day,” Carl Strommen’s “Up Front,” Ralph Ford’s “Dance Big ’Un, Dance,” Mike Kamuf’s arrangement of Herbie Hancock’s “Watermelon Man,” Carl Stommen’s “Sausalito Strut” and Kris Berg’s “Flew the Coop.”

Leslyn Ichter, a senior choral music education major from Conway, Ark., will join the band as vocalist for the following songs: Dave Wolpe’s arrangement of Richard Rogers’ “Isn’t It Romantic,” Wople’s arrangement of George and Ira Gershwin’s “Someone to Watch Over Me,” Fats Waller’s “Honeysuckle Rose” and Jerry Now’s arrangement of Billy Holiday’s “God Bless the Child.”

The saxophone band members include Alissa Hill, a junior music major from Bella Vista, Ark., alto; Cyrus Morris, a sophomore performance major from Katy, Texas, alto; Alex Goff, a sophomore music theory and composition major from Nashville, Ark., tenor; Brian Matney, a junior music major from Gravette, Ark., baritone; and Marshall Butler, a freshman music major from Cabot, Ark., baritone.

Trumpets include Chris Sumner, a sophomore music major from Needville, Texas; Patrick Copeland, a freshman music major from Mansfield, Texas; Ruth Bryan, a junior Christian studies major from Wimberley, Texas; and Jeremy Prine, a sophomore music major from DeWitt, Ark.

Trombonists will be Vince DiCarlo, a junior music major from Azle, Texas; Andrew McCraw, a freshman music major from Fort Worth, Texas; Russell Shaw, a sophomore music major from Mesquite, Texas; and Cameron Jones, a sophomore music major from Fort Worth, Texas, on bass.

Emily Adams, a senior music major from Ellisville, Mo., and Nina Sari, a freshman music major from Jakarta, Indonesia, will be playing piano, and Nathan Courtright, a junior music major from Rowlett, Texas, will be on guitar.

Bass will be played by Jody Lee, a senior musical theatre major from Arlington, Texas; Michael Curtis, a freshman music major from Wylie, Texas; and Tyler Kemp, a sophomore music major from Bolivar, Mo.

Percussionists include Mike Kizzar, a senior biology major from Danville, Calif.; Zak Zucha, a freshman business administration major from Sachse, Texas; Josh Lee, a sophomore music major from Hot Springs, Ark.; and Trey Gosser, a freshman music major from North Little Rock, Ark.

For more information, contact OBU’s School of Fine Arts at (870) 245-5129.

By Jon Malcolm