Cal Poly Fall Jazz Concert Set for Dec. 5

The Cal Poly big bands and jazz combos will present their annual Fall Jazz Concert at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, in the Spanos Theatre on campus.

The student musicians will demonstrate how jazz is being reinvented by today’s young jazz artists, according to Paul Rinzler, Cal Poly’s director of jazz studies.

The two big bands will perform “Airegin” by Sonny Rollins and jazz standard “You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To,” both arranged by Michael Abene, considered one of jazz’s great composers and arrangers and chief composer and arranger for renowned WDR Big Band in Cologne, Germany.

The big bands will also play the infectious funk arrangement “Chicken Polo,” which somehow translates the essence of chickens into sound for a big band. Both big bands are comprised of vocalists and four musicians playing trumpets, four on trombones, five on saxophones, and a rhythm section.  

The jazz combos will perform jazz standards and original compositions by the members.

Tickets to the concert are $14 for the public and $9 for senior citizens, students and Jazz Federation members. Pricing includes all Performing Arts Center fees, and event parking is sponsored by the PAC. Tickets are sold at the Performing Arts Ticket office between noon and 6 p.m. Tuesdaythrough Saturday. To order by phone, call SLO-4TIX (756-4849).

The Music Department offers a 10 percent discount to patrons who buy season tickets to four of its events through the Performing Arts Ticket Office; a 15 percent discount is given on tickets to five or more events. 

The concert is sponsored by Cal Poly’s College of Liberal Arts, Music Department, and Instructionally Related Activities program. For more information, call the Music Department at 805-756-2406.