Jazz Ensemble to perform at Nebraska Music Educators Association Conference

Northwest’s Jazz Ensemble will perform at the Nebraska Music Educators Association Conference Nov. 18. (Northwest Missouri State University photo)

For the second time in four years, Northwest Missouri State University’s Jazz Ensemble has been selected to perform at the Nebraska Music Educators Association (NMEA) Conference.

The Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Northwest Professor of Music Dr. William Richardson, is scheduled to perform at 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18, at Kimball Hall on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus.

“It’s an honor to be selected,” Richardson said. “This is a big deal for us, and it’s a testament to our students working through a pandemic year.”

The Jazz Ensemble will perform “Oh Lawd, I’m On My Way” by George and Ira Gershwin, Dubose and Dorothy Heyward and arranged by Bill Potts; “Bodysnatchers” by Radiohead and arranged by Fred Sturm and Bob Curnow; “Meetin’ Time” by Benny Carter; “Roll ‘em” by Mary Lou Williams and Ted Buerhrer; “Motherly Melody” by Kyle C. Stallons and arranged by Caleb Pickering; “Tippin’ In” by Bobby Smith and arranged by Tommy Newsom; “Samba del Gringo” by Gordon Goodwin; and “Blues and the Abstract Truth” by Oliver Nelson.

The Jazz Ensemble, which is the only university jazz ensemble performing at this year’s conference, was selected to perform through a competitive application and audition process from among scores of submissions. Each application was vetted by a committee of music educators who reviewed the recordings and recommended performing ensembles to appear at the conference. Ensembles may apply to perform at the NMEA conference every four years.

The Jazz Ensemble last performed at the NMEA Conference in 2017. The group also has performed for the Missouri Music Educators Association Conference twice.

For more information about the Northwest Jazz Ensemble and other music ensembles at Northwest, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/finearts/music/.