Students, community members and alumni are invited to celebrate five decades of SRU Jazz, highlighting the music that defined the ensemble through the years. The 50th anniversary concert is at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 18, in the Performing Arts Center’s Miller Theater.
Under the direction of Jason Kush, a professor of music, the ensemble will perform a lineup of pieces tied to significant memories in the history of SRU Jazz. This includes charts from the Music Department’s several European tours, the ensemble’s standard repertoire and pieces recorded for release on digital platforms.
The celebration serves to honor Terry Steele and Steve Hawk, the ensemble’s former directors. Steele founded the jazz ensemble in 1975. Hawk took the reins in 1998 until Kush’s arrival in 2011.
Over 50 years, SRU Jazz has documented its performances in audio format. In recent years, many of them have been shared via the ensemble’s YouTube channel.
“Jazz music is very individualized—every group of students has had a different take on the music,” Kush said. “Every year for 50 years, the band has a different voice.”
Alumni will recognize more than the music from their time at SRU, as Kush and Jared Negley, librarian technician at SRU’s Bailey Library, and the Music Department have compiled photos, programs and posters for a display at the concert.
“Jazz is ‘people’s music’ and doesn’t take a special knowledge of music to enjoy it,” Kush said. “Jazz is upbeat, positive music and I hope that this concert will bring back memories for the alumni in attendance and put a smile on the faces of all those in the room.”
Tickets for the concert are $10 for general admission and $5 for students, and tickets can be purchased at sru.edu/tickets.
