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Jazz Lab Band, U-Jazz Band to play March 7

March 1, 2013

The Northern Illinois University Jazz Lab Band, directed by Rodrigo Villanueva, and the NIU U-Jazz Band, directed by graduate assistants Evan King and Matt Attfield, will perform their first concert of the spring 2013 semester at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 7.

The concert will take place at the Boutell Memorial Concert Hall of the Music Building, 300 Lucinda Ave.

Both jazz ensembles will perform a wide variety of styles within the jazz genre, including works by legendary jazz composers Duke Ellington, Herbie Hancock, Horace Silver and Pat Metheny.

NIU Jazz Lab Band

NIU Jazz Lab Band

The Lab Band regularly participates in jazz festivals and competitions, and performs at least six concerts per academic year. In fact, last June, the Lab Band won in the College Big Band Division of the prestigious Downbeat Magazine 35th Annual Students Awards.

The group has featured several international jazz artists, including Gary Smulyan, Allen Vizzutti, Stephen Anderson, Mark Colby, Craig Butterfield, Robert Chappell, Fareed Haque, Liam Teague, Art Davis, Kelly Sill, Steve Duke, Ronald Carter, Stefan Karlsson, Tom Garling and Wayne Bergeron.

The first NIU Jazz Lab Band album, “Quintessence,” will be available at the concert. Proceeds from the sales of NIU jazz recordings benefit the NIU School of Music and are used to support the Jazz Studies program through scholarships, public performances, recording, tours and related activities.

For more information, contact Lynn Slater at (815) 753-1546 or lslater@niu.edu.