A fun evening of jazz featuring the Swingin’ Axes and Swingin’ Aces from Stephen F. Austin State University will be presented from 7 to 11 p.m. Friday, March 1, at LugNutz Bar & Grill.
If weather permits, the jazz bands will perform on the outdoor stage. In inclement weather, the concert will be moved indoors.
The evening will open with The Swingin’ Aces, directed by Dr. J.D. Salas, performing a mix of big band favorites such as Count Basie’s “April in Paris” and Duke Ellington’s “Take the A Train.” The band will also feature newer works for jazz ensemble, including Kris Berg’s “No Spring Chicken,” which rearranges some of the themes from Pee-Wee Ellis’s well-known funk song “The Chicken.”
The Swingin’ Axes, directed by Dr. Deb Scott, will perform more big band favorites from the 1940s, including “In the Mood” and “String of Pearls,” both made famous by the Glenn Miller Orchestra, as well as “Song of India” as performed by Tommy Dorsey.
The evening will also include a performance by a newly formed jazz band, the SFA Jazz Club, directed by jazz graduate teaching assistant Max Mucino. The band will perform Cab Calloway’s “Minnie the Moocher” and Al Jarreau’s “Roof Garden,” among others.
“As the evening progresses, so will the music, changing to blues, funk and rock,” Scott said.
Concert tickets may be purchased ahead of time at the SFA Fine Arts Box Office for $10. Tickets at the door will be $15. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu. Tickets do not include food or beverages.
All proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the School of Music jazz program.
LugNutz is located at 5287 U.S. Highway 59 approximately five miles south of Loop 224, Nacogdoches. Drinks from the bar and food from LugNutz’ Spitfire Grill will be available for purchase.
