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The W&L University Jazz Ensemble will present its annual end-of-year concert on Thursday, April 6, at 8 p.m. in Wilson Hall.
No tickets are required. The performance will be streamed at https://livestream.com/wlu.
The ensemble will explore a variety of styles, from Duke Ellington’s sounds of early jazz, to new works by trumpet virtuoso Tim Hagans. Music from the bands of Charles Mingus, Maynard Ferguson and others will fill the bill.
The final concert is a chance to show off the senior members of the organization. Annalisa Waddick will be featured on trumpet in a performance of Chuck Mangione’s “Children of Sanchez.” The centennials of both Dexter Gordon and Thad Jones will be celebrated. Gaoyuan “Alex” Qian and Sam Boyd will take on Gordon’s classic, “Cheese Cake,” while Ben Slater takes center stage for Thad Jones’s “Groove Merchant.” And clarinetist Taylor Colaizzi will soar above the band in several solos.
The Michael Allen Trio will open the concert, featuring Allen ‘23 on guitar, Eli Catanzaro ‘25 on bass, and Tim Johns ’26 on drums. Their set will pay homage to famed jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery.
