Noted trumpeter Al Naylor leads I-380 Express, performs with student combos
For local music fans, Al Naylor is a familiar name in many different venues. On Thursday, March 12 Naylor gets to enjoy headline status. Naylor and a group of long-time musical friends will headline an instrumental jazz concert at Kirkwood Community College.
Naylor and his I-380 Express combo will share the stage with Kirkwood student combos in a 7:30 p.m. concert in Ballantyne Auditorium. Leading off the program are three different student combos doing a mix of jazz and blues standards and original compositions. The program is directed by Kirkwood Instrumental Director Dr. Timothy Feldkamp.
Al Naylor has built a reputation as a distinguished performer and educator in eastern Iowa for more than two decades. His powerful trumpet style is recognizable in the Orquesta Alto Maiz salsa band, Bob Dorr and the Blue Band and the big band ensemble he directs, the I-380 Express. His professional performance credits include such diverse realms as The Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra and the Barnum & Bailey Circus touring group. Naylor also performed for touring Broadway cast shows such as South Pacific and A Chorus Line.
Earlier in his career, Naylor performed on the road with horn rock bands, one of which, The Pages, earned him induction into the Iowa Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Over a quarter century, he has also shared the stage with such jazz greats as Sonny Stitt, Clark Terry, Jerry Niewood, Steve Turre and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra.
Tickets for the March 12 Kirkwood Instrumental Jazz Concert are $8 for adults and $5 for seniors and students with current educational ID. Kirkwood staff, faculty and students are admitted free. Tickets are available from the Kirkwood Student Life office in Iowa Hall, (319) 398-5578.