The Hillcats Faculty Jazz Ensemble will move off the beaten track and into uncharted territory at 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 2, in Markel Auditorium at the Sage Center for the Arts.
The performers include Director of Jazz Studies Chris McCourry on trumpet and adjunct faculty instructors Arlene McDaniel on piano, Jonathon Gewirtz on saxophone, Larry Ochiltree on drums, and Ed Fedewa on bass. The group will perform a concert, featuring one or two original compositions from each member of the group.
The compositions include a wide range of styles: McDaniel’s “Brazil Nuts” incorporates Cuban and Latin American influences, while McCourry’s “The Dig” is a free-jazz piece, based on improvisation rather than structure.
Unlike their last concert, which only featured pieces by renowned jazz artist Chick Corea, the originality of this program allows the performers to put their own stamp on the music.
“Most of the material you hear in these concerts, where you’re emulating someone else’s material, has already been recorded,” Ochiltree said. “With this, you can get more experimental.”
Joining the group is guest artist Rob Smith, head of the jazz department at Central Michigan University, who plays trumpet, flugelhorn, and tenor saxophone. He is primarily a teacher, and wrote two of the pieces for the program.
Adjunct Voice Instructor Sunny Wilkinson, who frequently performs at Hillsdale as a guest artist, will also be joining the group.
Ochiltree said he is excited to work with both artists.
“Working with Rob and Sunny is like working with the top professionals in their genres,” he said.
Sophomore jazz musician Giannina Imperial said she is looking forward to the concert to see “how they make jazz new.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing how they improvise, because they each have their own really distinct styles,” she said.
While jazz students can look forward to new interpretations of traditional jazz themes, nonmusicians can expect an enjoyable experience as well.
Ochiltree said this concert is a great way to experience jazz for the first time and develop an awareness for a new kind of music.
“For people that don’t have an understanding of jazz, I think it would be a way for them to come and have a nice experience of getting wrapped up in music that might be new to them,” he said. “If we move them some way, that’s great.”