Jazz Band kicks off Italy trip with May 9 concert

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Kicking off Purdue Bands’ first ever Study Abroad venture, the Purdue Summer Jazz Band will give a Bon Voyage concert from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, May 9, at Slayter Center on the corner of Stadium and Jischke Drive.

Admission is free.

Director of jazz studies M.T. “Mo” Trout will take the band to Italy to study the jazz and culture of Europe and perform in various cities between May 11 and May 26.

For the Bon Voyage concert, and the tour, the Summer Jazz Band’s “repertoire is a compilation of some of my favorite pieces from concerts performed throughout the year by the Purdue Jazz Band and American Music Repertory Ensemble,” Trout says.

It runs from tunes made famous by Count Basie and Duke Ellington to the contemporary arrangements of Bob Florence. Some of the tunes include “The Queen Bee” as recorded by Count Basie, “String of Pearls” and “Misty” as recorded by Stan Kenton, Duke Ellington’s “Jack the Bear,” Paul & Linda McCartney’s “Live and Let Die” and Harold Arlen “It’s Only a Paper Moon.”

Twenty-two students auditioned and were chosen to participate in the Summer Band traveling through Purdue’s Study Abroad program.  “The course gives students the opportunity to experience how America’s music is received and performed in Italy,” Trout says. “It will make the students stronger culturally and musically, and will encourage positive interaction among Purdue students and the people of Italy.”  The group will be visiting Rome, Perugia, Florence, Sienna, Venice, Verona and Milan.

The intention of Purdue Bands & Orchestra is to have a three year Study Abroad rotation involving the jazz bands, the symphony orchestra and symphonic band. 

Purdue Bands has a long history of traveling to perform for audiences around the world. In addition to bowl games, student musicians have performed on cruises and in such places as South America, Europe, Japan, Iceland and Canada. The first university band to play at Radio City Music Hall came from Purdue.

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