Wayne State jazz and string ensembles concert set for April 25

WAYNE – Dynamic jazz meets dramatic film music at the Wayne State College Jazz and String Ensembles concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 25, in Ramsey Theatre, located in the Peterson Fine Arts Building at Wayne State. The concert is free and open to the public.

It will also be livestreamed. To view the livestream, go to www.wsc. edu/watch-live. The program is accessible by selecting the event from the Music Events list at www.wsc.edu/music.

The Jazz Ensemble opens with the Brazilian rhythm of “Synonymic Bossa” by Paul White, followed by the bluesy ballad “Stormy Weather” by Harold Arlen, featuring Wayne State music education major Taylor O’Dell, McCook, on alto saxophone. The familiar R&B classic “Kansas City” by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller follows along with the funky rock-swingjazz fusion of “The Jazz Police’ by Gordon Goodwin and the electrifying powerhouse “The Chicken” by Alfred James Ellis. The Jazz Ensemble is directed by Michael Genslinger, instructor of music and assistant director of bands at Wayne State.

Repertoire presented by the String Ensemble fuses heroic with intense. Several arrangements by Robert Longfield include the superhero theme from “The Incredibles,” “Kingdom Dance” from Disney’s “Tangled,” the haunting “Game of Thrones,” and the suspense of “The Hunger Games.” Kaylee Steffen of Pierce High School and Jordyn Irlmeier, adjunct instructor of music at Wayne State and director of the ensemble, perform solos. Ensemble members are Wayne State students, local high school students, and community members.