by Eileen Laux
The sounds of swing-time jazz will resonate through the
halls of McCain Auditorium Saturday.
The Count Basie Orchestra with Nnenna Freelon will perform at
K-State at 8 p.m.
Thom Jackson, marketing and development officer for McCain,
said they wanted the orchestra because they are doing a tour and the band is a
part of American history.
"This is one of the pinnacle bands that defined
American jazz music," he said.
Several members of the band played with Count Basie, who died in April 1984.
Jackson said Nnenna Freelon is a five-time
Grammy-nominated singer will also be performing and presenting an homage to legendary singer Billie Holiday.
"I think students are going to love the music," he
said, "and the vocals of Nnenna
Freelon doesn't hurt."
There will also be a pre-performance lecture by Al Cochran
in McCain 204 at 7 p.m.
Cochran, assistant provost and professor of music, said he
will talk about the band and how they came about.
"They actually formed in Kansas
City," he said. "I will be talking about
that and playing sections of music that have been recorded."
He said Basie's band has always
been a personal favorite of his.
"The band is a phenomonal
organization," he said. "The musicians are all top-notch players, and
the music appeals to a broad range of people."
He said students should attend the lecture if they want to
know more about the band. He said Manhattan
is the home of the International Association of Jazz Educators, the largest
association of jazz educators in the world.
"The band will be great to see because its roots are
here," he said. "And those roots go real deep."
Jess Morgan, junior in architectural engineering, said she
would go, but being a member of the K-State Pep Band, she will be going to the
basketball game.
She plays the piccolo in the pep band and the flute in the
concert band. She has been playing those instruments for almost 11 years. She
sometimes goes to other concerts because she knows people playing or because it
is a fun activity to go to.
"I think people should go because it gives them a
chance to see other parts of campus outside of their academic major and see the
talent that is on this campus," she said. "I am going to try to go if
my schedule allows it."
1/5/06
Source: kstatecollegian.com
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