Oct. 25, 2022

Jazz ensembles set to perform concert at The Pub

By Edidiong Idong-Bassey, communication assistant

Northwest Missouri State University’s jazz ensembles are taking their instruments off campus to perform a fall concert at a Maryville hangout.

Northwest jazz ensembles perform multiple concerts annually in a variety of venues. Photo by Todd Weddle/Northwest Missouri State University)

The concert featuring Northwest’s Studio Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combo begins at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 7, at The Pub. The performance groups are under the direction of Dr. William Richardson, a professor of music at Northwest.

The Pub is an entertainment center and bar located at 414 N. Main St. in Maryville. The concert is free, and The Pub admits adults 21 and over.

“It’s nice to present music in a non-performance-hall atmosphere occasionally,” Richardson said. “The Maryville Pub is a fun venue for our student musicians, and I know that the audience will appreciate listening to the results of their hard work. We are very excited and grateful that (The Pub owner) Jeff Zeller has given us the opportunity to play there and present fantastic music to the Maryville community.”

The ensembles will perform a variety of pieces, including Sammy Nestico’s “Dark Orchid;” Gordon Goodwin’s “Sing, Sang, Sung;” Duke Ellington’s “Concerto for Cootie;” Alfred James Ellis’ “The Chicken;” Gregory Yasinitsky’s “Chill Factor;” Victor Lopez’s “Little Big Gumbo;” Chris Sharp’s “Mambo Jambo” and Billy Byers’ “Count Me In.”

Under the direction of Richardson, the jazz ensembles perform multiple concerts on the Northwest campus annually, and the Jazz Ensemble regularly tours Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. The Northwest Jazz Ensemble recently performed at the Missouri Music Educators Association (MMEA), Nebraska Music Educators Association (NMEA) and the Glenn Miller Festival in Clarinda, Iowa. The Northwest Jazz Combo presents performances in the Maryville area.

In 2020, the Jazz Ensemble was named the “Outstanding University Jazz Ensemble” at the University of Kansas Jazz Festival in Lawrence, Kansas.