GRANBURY, TEXAS—Jazz takes center stage — or rather center green — this Sunday, Oct. 18 at Tarleton State University’s Dora Lee Langdon Cultural and Educational Center.
The ninth annual Jazz on the Green will begin at 2 p.m. at the center, located just off the Granbury Square.
The audience will be treated to swing, funk, big band and progressive jazz live from Tarleton’s Jazz Ensemble 1 under the direction of Greg Ball and the Langdon Center Big Band under the direction of Mark Hettle.
“This tradition started as a means of livening up the many fall activities in Granbury with great music,” said Janice Horak, director of the Langdon Center. “Greg Ball and his ensembles have been the mainstay of this event. Now, the Langdon Center Big Band with so many great, local musicians brings something new each year. It’s a terrific, outdoor event for autumn and a wonderful addition to the Historic Granbury Merchant Association’s Harvest Moon Festival.”
The award-winning Tarleton Jazz Ensemble is a standard “big band” of 20 musicians and tours extensively. The Jazz Ensemble is highly competitive and membership is by audition only.
Ball is a graduate of Youngstown State University and the University of North Texas. He gives credit to his dad, Richard for introducing him to jazz at a very early age. Richard Ball still plays the vibes at regular gigs in Ohio while his son leads university jazz ensembles and his own Greg Ball Trio.
Returning to perform in the concert is saxophonist, Marcos Duran. Duran is an alumnus of both the Tarleton Jazz Ensemble I and the Langdon Center Big Band. He currently is in his second year of graduate school at Baylor University.
“Marcos loves to play, and people love to hear Marcos play,” Horak said. “In jazz, the soloist takes the ensemble to a higher level, and Marcos is no stranger to great solos.”
Duran will be performing the classic Erroll Garner classic “Misty” among other tunes.
The Langdon Center Big Band is a 22-piece community music organization started in 2007. Hettle brings more than 30 years of performing, teaching and conducting to the group.
In the Big Band portion of the concert, attendees will hear familiar tunes such as “All of Me,” “Sentimental Mood” and “Take the A Train.”
Jazz on the Green celebrates great jazz and creative improvised music. The event also coincides with the Rio Brazos Art Exhibition in the Langdon Center Concert Hall. The audience is encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets and refreshments. For more information on this and other Tarleton's Langdon Center events, call (817) 279-1164, e-mail langdoncenter@sbcglobal.net or visit www.tarleton.edu/langdoncenter.
