Campus Life

Jazz Ensemble hits stage, Wednesday

The University Theatre is the place to be on Wednesday, Apr. 7 for Know What I Mean?, a concert featuring the U of L Jazz Ensemble, The Porter Davidson Quartet and special guest saxophonist Mace Hibbard, from Atlanta, Georgia. The stage comes alive at 8 p.m.

"We are thrilled to have Mace perform on our stage," says David Renter, Jazz Ensemble director. "He is an amazingly accomplished performer and composer."

Mace Hibbard comes from a musical family and developed his firm grasp of the history of jazz and its standard repertoire as a teenager by playing with his father - Dave Hibbard, a great trumpet player who has been a staple in the Texas jazz scene for many years.

Hibbard has two recordings to his credit and has performed throughout the United States and Europe, sharing the stage with the likes of Wynton Marsalis, The Derek Trucks Band, Michael Brecker, Bobby Shew, Arturo Sandoval, James Moody, the Austin Symphony, the Four Tops and the Temptations.

The U of L Jazz Ensemble is a 19-member group consisting primarily of music majors, along with other interested students from a variety of disciplines across campus. The band performs an eclectic mix of repertoire, including contemporary and vintage big band jazz music.

Each year, the band performs several times, both on and off campus and has often collaborated with special guests, who have in the past included some of Canada's top jazz musicians, most notably, alto saxophonist PJ Perry, trumpeter Don Clark and tenor saxophonist Pat Belliveau.

Tickets for the U of L Jazz Ensemble are priced at $15 regular and $10 for students and seniors at the U of L Box Office – 403-329-2616.