Student musicians to be featured in fall concert

by Jon Seaborn, editor-in-chief

The South Plains College Jazz Band will be performing Nov. 15 on the Levelland campus.

The free concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Sundown Room in the Student Center.

The SPC Jazz Band is led by Dr. Bruce Keeling, professor of music.

“For a lot of the kids, this is the first time they are getting to play jazz,” Dr. Keeling said. “Most high schools around here don’t have jazz bands, so it’s really exciting to see all these kids getting to play something new and fun.”

The SPC Jazz Band features Catherine Bankston, Mellanie Beversdof, Cameron Connell, Cody Cross, Layne Duesterhaus, Leon Eldridge, James Gelber, Alberto Gonzales, Eric Langford, Eric Maes, Zakary Morris, Sandi Parrish, Brady Patterson, John Reddin, Katherine Riner, Rebecca Striblin, Krista Stringer, Jeffory Watson, Matthew Whitson, and Nathan Carnegey.

The Jazz Band will be performing seven songs, ranging from swing and big band to blues and rock charts.

“Cute,” by Neal Hefti, is one of the songs set to be performed. The swing chart will feature Al Gardner, an assistant professor of percussion and pep band director at SPC, on drums. The song is in a swing style. 

The band will also be performing “Shake N, Bake” by Lennie Niehaus. The song is in a bright swing style and will feature a solo by Whitson on tenor sax. The band will be playing other Niehaus selections, including “Waterloo Blues,” a blues chart. The song will feature Anderson on trumpet, Cross on baritone sax, Parrish on sax, Gonzales on guitar and Carnegey on bass.

The band also will be performing a song by Count Basie titled “Maben Swing.” The song, as the title indicates, is in a true swing style, and will feature Maes on trumpet.

“True Blue” is another song by Niehaus and is a blues chart. It will feature Maes on trumpet and Eldridge on piano. Eldridge also is the featured pianist on “Hook, Line and Sinker,” a jazz chart by Paul Clark.

“The Power Source,” a rock chart by Les Harper, also will be performed. The song will feature Cross on baritone sax and Carnegey on bass.

Halfway through the evening concert, the Faculty/Student Combo will play a short set. The Combo includes faculty members Gardner on drums, John Reid on bass, Jon Johnson on piano, Scout Couch on trumpet, Bruce Keeling on trombone, Linda Reid on alto sax, and student Cross on baritone sax. Johnson did all the musical and vocal arrangements for the combo.

The combo will be playing three songs, including “I Thought About You,” featuring Whitney Wilson on vocals, “Taking a Chance With Love,” featuring Nicole Keeling, Dr. Keeling's daughter, on vocals, and “Someone to Watch Over Me,” featuring Marissa Eisenhaner on vocals.

“Jazz is America’s only true art form,” Dr. Keeling said. “It all started here and it’s ours.”