Southeastern Oklahoma State University

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SOSU Jazz Band to Present Struttin’ With Some Barbecue

Press Release Date: 10-11-2006

Picture of two SOSU Jazz Band members playing saxophones

The Southeastern Oklahoma State University Jazz Ensemble will present its annual Struttin’ With Some Barbecue concert at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, in the Amphitheater Visual and Performing Arts Center on the Durant campus. Smokey Allen’s Barbecue will once again cater barbecue for the crowd and will begin serving at 5:30 p.m. The concert is free, but Smokey Allen’s will gladly accept payment for the barbecue. The amphitheater is located across the street from the dormitory towers.

Dr. Michael A. Miles, Chair of the Department of Fine Arts will lead the band in a varied program that will have something for everyone who appreciates any genre of jazz music. “We always try to serve as many tastes as possible in our programming,” stated Miles. “We want everyone to be able to identify with jazz so we include some solid swing tunes, familiar vocal tunes, and a couple of hard driving latin charts.” This year’s vocalist is Vance Davis, an outstanding freshman. “Vance has a great feel for jazz, and really stylizes his songs well,” says Miles.” He will accompany the band singing I Just Found Out About Love arranged by Don Menza and Everyday arranged by Bob Ojeda.

The band will perform Chameleon, a tribute to the late Maynard Ferguson, Blues In Hoss’ Flat by Frank Foster; Peanut Vendor, arranged by Stan Kenton; America, a Tom Kubis arrangement; Couch Potato by faculty member Mike Cantwell; Fiesta Bahia by Victor Lopez, St. Thomas arranged by Tom Kubis and John Brown’s Other Body, arranged by John Oddo. The feature tune this year is the Stan Kenton Orchestra’s famous arrangement of Malaguena.

We really do try to please everyone in the audience, without playing for more than an hour so everyone can get home at a decent time,” says Miles. “This is a great group of students with a great deal of talent. They’ve come together very well as an ensemble in the past couple of weeks, and I’m very excited about their potential. I hope all our family and friends will come out for a beautiful evening under the setting sun as we play in the fall season.”

Bring a blanket or some lawn chairs and enjoy the sounds of America’s music—JAZZ!