The Truman State University Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Tim AuBuchon, will present a performance of music from the Duke Ellington album “The Far East Suite” at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 5 in the Ophelia Parrish Performance Hall. The Truman Jazz Lab Band will also perform a program of swing, Latin, and blues music to open the concert. The concert is free and open to the public.
Released in 1966, “The Far East Suite” illustrates the story of a concert tour Ellington and the members of his orchestra took through the Middle East in 1962. There, he and his orchestra encountered a military coup while traveling through Baghdad, as well as seeing the majestic statue of Our Lady of Lebanon, in the city of Harissa, Lebanon and the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. These experiences, along with countless others that Ellington and his cohorts experienced during their travels through the East, inspired much of the music heard throughout the album.
Ellington, along with his friend and co-composer Billy Strayhorn, mixed the musical impressions that were gathered during the Middle East tour with the band’s usual swing and harmonic sophistication to create a unique experience for jazz listeners.
The Truman Jazz Ensemble is the premiere jazz performance group at Truman. The 16-18 member ensemble performs numerous performances, both on and off campus, throughout the year. The group has been featured with several jazz luminaries, including Slide Hampton, Jon Faddis, Bill Watrous, Randy Brecker and Clark Terry.
More information about the concert and other events happening in the School of Arts and Letters can be found at facebook.com/trumansal.
