Jazz is jazzed for concert

Lauren Ganger, Staff writer

On April 28 at 8 p.m. in Taylor Little Theatre, the Mercyhurst Jazz Ensemble will present its final concert of the semester.
Scott Meier, Ph.D., describes the pieces on the program as “a lot of really popular pieces.”
This concert will feature Erie native and Mercyhurst alumnus Galen McKinney as trumpet soloist.
McKinney, a senior airman in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, spent eight years playing with the Navy Band and now resides in Pittsburgh.
McKinney’s visit to Mercyhurst is sponsored by the U.S. Air Force.
McKinney recently made an appearance at the Conneaut Area High School jazz café, where the Mercyhurst jazz ensemble performed April 13.
Alex Deakin, a senior Applied Forensic Sciences major who plays the trumpet in the Jazz Ensemble, says that after hearing McKinney play at the jazz café event he is looking forward to performing with McKinney.
Deakin said that McKinney “is a phenomenal musician,” and said that McKinney made it difficult for him to play his own part because he was so engrossed in McKinney’s solo.”
McKinney will solo on “A Child is Born” by Thad Jones, “Feels so Good” by Chuck Mangione, “Horn of Puente” by Gordon Goodwin and “Fire Dance” by Allen Vizzutti, a piece made famous by the Woody Herman Band.
Other pieces on the concert will be “Spain” by Chick Corea, “Shiny Stockings” by Frank Foster, “Tiptoe” by Thad Jones and “Moanin’” as arranged by Charles Mingus.
The last piece will feature senior Music major Caden Gilson on baritone saxophone.
Meier calls this full concert “aggressive” and says that it will “make (the musicians’) faces pop off” by the time it is over.
Tickets to this performance are $5 for the general public and $2 for Mercyhurst students, faculty and children aged 12 and under.