Five jazz groups highlight the 13th annual concert, Saturday, Sept. 29
Kirkwood Community College begins the Fall Performing Arts series on Saturday, September 29, with the 13th Annual Blues Concert. Five groups will perform, with guest vocalists Marylee Camp and Leah Leduc each headlining a segment of the program.
The Kirkwood Jazz Ensemble, with guest vocalist Leah LeDuc, starts off the evening’s performances at 7:30 p.m. on the Ballantyne Auditorium stage. The 20-piece ensemble is comprised of Kirkwood students from a variety of disciplines across the college.
Kirkwood’s three Jazz Combos will take the stage next. Each combo has four to five students of members performing on a variety of instruments.
C.R. Jazz Big Band closes out the night’s performances with guest vocalist Marylee Camp. The band is a long-standing community tradition based at Kirkwood. The group is made up of about 20 community members with diverse backgrounds. Together they perform a polished and lively set of familiar arrangements and original compositions.
All tune selections for the night’s event are blues-based with a tinge of rock, funk and jazz. The audience is sure to enjoy the eclectic twists on tunes performed on songs from artists such as the Black Keys, Kansas, Bob Dylan, John Scofield and Billy Holiday.
Student instrumental jazz groups at Kirkwood have earned awards at several prestigious national jazz festivals and have also accompanied numerous jazz legends. The jazz ensembles and combos have been a part of the Kirkwood music program for almost 30 years. Kirkwood Instrumental Jazz Director Timothy Feldkamp will direct the evening’s music, with KCCK’s Dennis Green hosting the event.
Tickets for this September 29, Blues Concert are $10 for adults and $5 for seniors and students with a current ID. Kirkwood students and employees are admitted free. For ticket information, please call (319) 398-5899 ext. 4331.