Jason Caesar Consolacion
Staff Writer
A big joke this April Fool's Day will be on you - if you miss out on the jazz concert tonight at the Moores Opera House.
The University of Houston Moores School of Music will present some of the best jazz musicians from the Houston area as UH's Jazz Orchestra (Noe Marmolejo, director) and Jazz Ensemble (Woody Witt, director) perform tonight at 7:30.
The concert, "Now's the Time," features Houston's most dynamic big band performing original compositions and arrangements designed to showcase the versatility of the musicians in the ensembles.
"I think the most important thing about this concert," Marmolejo said, "is that we showcase the talents of our students. We'll be performing all original material and original arrangements written by both the students and the faculty of the Moores School of Music."
Composers featured in the concert include Mark Holter, Woody Witt and Robert Nelson. Nelson's piece, "Aspects II," is taken from the second movement of a larger work that was originally composed for the Three Tenors concert.
"Now's the Time" will explore the genres of funk, new age and an original arrangement of a Miles Davis tune that combines swing and funk. With all the different genres presented, it is obvious that the versatility of the Music School's jazz students is not only apparent in their ability to play, but also in their knack for composing.
This concert also serves as preparation for the Jazz Orchestra for their upcoming recording session. They will soon record an album of all the original material featured in tonight's show.
"This concert really features our students' abilities as composers and musicians," Marmolejo said. "You'll hear their own interpretations and improvisations, and that's really what we want to showcase in the concert (tonight)."
Admission is $5 ($3 for students and seniors), and tickets are available at the door. For information, call the Moores School of Music at (713) 743-3009.