Holiday "comfort music" in the form of seasonal favorites made famous by Irving Berlin, Leroy Anderson and others will fill the "Holiday Cheer & All That Jazz" concert offered by Purdue's jazz bands on Friday, Dec. 7.

The Purdue Jazz Band, American Music Repertory Ensemble and Lab Jazz Band all get spotlights at the free concert set for 8 p.m. in Loeb Playhouse of the Purdue Stewart Center.

Preceding the concert is "Tuba Christmas," an annual event where tubists and euphonium players offer low brass versions of holiday tunes. The 30 minute show begins at 7 p.m. and will also take place in Loeb Playhouse. Admission is free.

From "Home for the Holidays" and "Christmas Time is Here" to "The Little Drummer Boy" and "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear," band director M.T. "Mo" Trout says Purdue's jazz ensembles will present a true holiday "swingalong."

"All the tunes on the concert have really been re-imagined in the swing style," says Trout. "Some are big band swing while others are more contemporary. But they're all still classic swing."

Christmas icons will be saluted with "Frosty the Snowman," "Jolly Old St. Nicholas" and "Here Comes Santa Claus." Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" and Leroy Anderson's "Sleigh Ride" are holiday classics on the program along with "Jingle Bells." Salutes to the winter season include "Button Up Your Overcoat" and "Baby It's Cold Outside."

Exploring other facets of the season, the Purdue Jazz Band will perform a "Hanukkah Medley" and "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve." The Lab Jazz Band adds "Hot Chocolate" from the film Polar Express and a comic favorite, "My Two Front Teeth." The American Music Repertory Ensemble will play a Chet Bauch arrangement of "The Man with the Bag." Bauch is a Purdue alum who went on to teach on The Ohio State University music faculty.

The whole evening's designed to be carefree and family friendly. "By not charging admission, Purdue Bands has always thought of this concert as our gift to the community in a season where dollars never go as far as dreams," says Bands publicist Kathy Matter.

Seating for the event is on a first-come basis with Loeb Playhouse opening up after the conclusion of Tuba Christmas. "Holiday Cheer" is the last jazz concert of the Purdue Bands & Orchestra fall 2012 season.