Cal Poly's University Jazz Bands to Perform ‘Just Jazz’ March 13

Cal Poly’s jazz bands will display the innovation of jazz and its tradition during the Just Jazz concert at 8 p.m. Friday, March 13, in the Spanos Theatre on campus.

“An important part of jazz for any musician is staying true to its tradition and expanding its boundaries,” said Paul Rinzler, director of jazz studies at Cal Poly. “The element of surprise is always present, because jazz is improvised.”

The concert will feature the best student jazz musicians at Cal Poly in two big bands and two jazz combos. The big bands’ “wall of sound” comes from four trumpets, four trombones, five saxophones, a rhythm section and vocalist.

Selections will include traditional swing dance music, blues, Latin jazz and funk. Student compositions will also be highlighted. Among the songs to be performed are “Some Skunk Funk” by the Brecker Brothers, “Smack Dab in the Middle” by John Clayton, “Let the Good Times Roll” by Louis Jordan, and “Five Hundred Miles High” by Chick Corea.

Tickets to the concert are $12 for the public and $9 for students, senior citizens, and Jazz Federation members. Pricing includes all Performing Arts Center fees, and event parking is sponsored by the PAC. Tickets are sold at the Cal Poly Ticket office between noon and 6 p.m. Tuesday through 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 Cal Poly Ticket Office; a 15 percent discount is given on tickets to five or more events.

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