DuPage Community Jazz Ensemble Celebrates American Music Nov. 30 at the MAC
DuPage Community Jazz Ensemble highlights the music of great American composers at a 7:30 p.m. concert Thursday, Nov. 30, in Belushi Performance Hall at the McAninch Arts Center, located on the College of DuPage campus, 425 Fawell Blvd.
The ensemble, under the direction of Tom Tallman, and guest performers Larry Pilon (piano), Ken O'Neil (saxophone) and Deb Zelman (clarinet) will perform the works of Thad Jones, Oliver Nelson, Bob Brookmeyer, Steve Winwood and others.
"Our Nov. 30 concert also features new music from the musicians in the band, including Matthew Monroe of Lisle, and the vocal wizardry of Naperville's Dab Zelman, who also will perform some brilliant clarinet work in the style of legends Phil Woods and Artie Shaw," Tallman said.
Tickets to the concert are $6. COD students may purchase tickets in advance for $5 with a valid student ID. For more information, call the MAC Box office at (630) 942-4000 or visit www.atthemac.org.
DuPage Community Jazz Ensemble performs dances and concert programs during the academic year as well as numerous off-campus performances. Its repertoire spans more than a century of large jazz ensemble compositions, including original work from its members. The ensemble is a frequent presence at the Elmhurst College Jazz Festival, has performed at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago, and in 2004 was recognized by the United States House of Representatives for its work on behalf of the Armed Forces Children's Education Fund. Music 1181, Community Jazz Ensemble, is a course at COD open to any musician interested in the American musical performance tradition.
"What brings us together is an interest in the rich variety and challenge of music that falls under the heading of American: folks, swing, blues, Latin and pop," Tallman said. "Creativity, both in writing music for the band and soloing within it, is strongly encouraged."
Tom Tallman is Professor of Music and Director of Jazz Ensembles at College of DuPage, a position he has held since 1990. Since 1998, his commissioned compositions and arrangements for jazz ensemble and concert band have been performed by numerous middle school, high school, community and professional ensembles in the Chicago metropolitan region. He has worked as a clinician and judged a variety of competitions in Florida, Texas, Missouri, Iowa and Illinois, and is a two-time ILMEA director at the District level. His latest recording credit is with The Jeff Benedict Big Band on "Holmes" (Maroon Creek Music, 2014), and he contributed to Volume 2 of Teaching Music Through Performance in Jazz (GIA Publications, 2015).
For more information about the COD Jazz Ensemble, click here.