Cardinal Jazz Orchestra holiday concert
Lamar University’s Cardinal Jazz Orchestra will perform classic and contemporary big band music and fresh arrangements of holiday classics with the Port Neches-Groves High School Jazz Band on Tuesday, Dec. 1. The free concert begins at 7 p.m. in the Port-Neches Groves High School auditorium.
“We’re always on the lookout for new material, and there is some great big band music that can only played at this time of year,” said orchestra director Rick Condit, associate professor in the Mary Morgan Moore Department of Music. “I’m sure the audience will recognize these tunes and will enjoy them very much.”
The 17-member Cardinal Jazz Orchestra consists of the instruments traditionally used during the big band era of the 1930s and 1940s: five saxophones, four trombones, four trumpets, and a rhythm section, including piano, bass, guitar and drums.
The Port Neches-Groves Jazz Band, directed by Phillip Maldonado, will open the concert with some classic tunes and fun hits, including “Blue Bossa,” “Big Band Holiday,” “Big Noise from the North Pole” and "Barbeque Sauce." The 19-piece ensemble includes nine students who successfully auditioned for the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) All-Region jazz ensemble. Lead trombonist Aaron Porter will also be a member of the TMEA All-State jazz ensemble and will perform at the state music convention held in San Antonio in February.
Port-Neches Groves High School is located at 1401 Merriman St. in Port Neches. For more details about the upcoming concert, call the Mary Morgan Moore Department of Music at (409) 880-8144 or visit lamar.edu/music.
