The Jazz Lab Bands at the University of Southern Mississippi will present a livestreamed fall concert at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 12.
The program will feature music for a “little big band,” a reduced-size ensemble made famous in such landmark recordings as Miles Davis’ “Birth of the Cool,” saxophonist Art Pepper’s “Art Pepper + Eleven” as well as numerous albums by the Dave Pell Octet, Oliver Nelson and others.
Artists such as Michael Buble and Harry Connick Jr. have routinely used this smaller-sized band, and the COVID-19 pandemic has allowed the university to explore music, new and old, in this format.
“This is actually something I have wanted to do for a long time, but (I) always felt compelled to do traditional big bands in order to provide performance opportunities for as many students as possible during their studies at Southern Miss,” Larry Panella, director of jazz studies, said.
Panella continued: “Now, because of COVID-19 rehearsal space restrictions, we’ve ventured into this new direction, and the students are really enjoying the music and the more open setting it provides for soloists and ensemble performance.”
Works from the “Art Pepper + Eleven” album, along with arrangements by Mike Tomaro and Rob McConnell, will be performed.
The band is conducted by Panella and Gabriel Scavassa Borin, graduate assistant.
While not open to a public audience, the concert will be streamed free of charge on the School of Music YouTube channel at youtube.com/usmmusic1.
