Jazz Ensemble to Pay Tribute to Former Student

The University of Maine School of Performing Arts presents the fall Jazz Ensemble concert Thursday, Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m. in Minsky Recital Hall.

Under the direction of Jack Burt, the ensemble will perform jazz standards by John Coltrane, Miles Davis and others. In addition, it will perform “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” by Charles Mingus and “Body and Soul” by Johnny Green, featuring tenor soloist Ron Ho, as a tribute to former UMaine graduate student Ashley Drew, who died this past summer.

Burt says Drew was a formidable leader. “A great jazz solo isn’t just a collection of well-chosen notes; it’s a personal expression of life’s experiences, and a person’s thoughts and feelings,” he says. “That’s why Ashley had something to say every time she picked up her tenor… In music, or in life, what Ashley Drew had to say was worth listening to…”

The Jazz Ensemble is a 20-piece big band open to university students. Admittance is by audition. It performs several times each semester, both on campus and around the state. Additionally, for the last 12 years, the Jazz Ensemble has performed a live two-hour radio broadcast at the studio of MPBN Radio. The performance is simulcast on the Internet.

Admission is $9, free with a valid student MaineCard. For tickets, or to request a disability accommodation, call 207.581.1755. Tickets may also be purchased at the door one hour prior to the show.