MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University’s premier student big band, Jazz Ensemble I, will present a concert featuring a mixture of jazz styles on Thursday, Nov. 19, on campus.

The concert begins at 8 p.m. in the Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building, 1439 Faulkinberry Drive. A searchable campus parking map is available at bit.ly/2026parkingmap. Admission is free and open to the public.

Led by Jamey Simmons, director of jazz studies in the School of Music, the ensemble will perform a program ranging from classic big band swing to Brazilian music and contemporary works.

Highlights include “Mean What You Say,” composed and arranged by legendary bandleader Thad Jones, and Duke Ellington’s “Almost Cried,” arranged by Ellington and Billy Strayhorn for Ellington’s soundtrack to the 1959 film “Anatomy of a Murder.”

The program also includes music by composers Greg Yasinitsky, Antônio Carlos Jobim and Jim White, as well as Simmons’ original composition “The Long Road Home.”

“This program gives our students the chance to explore a wide range of styles, from the music of Thad Jones and Duke Ellington to Brazilian jazz and new works, while showcasing their improvisational skills,” said Simmons. “It will be a great night for anyone who loves jazz, and the concert is free, so we hope to see a full house.”

For more information, email [email protected], call 615-898-2724 or visit the events calendar at https://music.mtsu.edu/calendar.

MTSU Illinois Jacquet Jazz Festival

Mark your calendars for the MTSU Illinois Jacquet Jazz Festival, set for April 3, 2027.

It includes a full day featuring performances of school ensembles and MTSU groups, jam sessions, educational sessions and a headline concert.

Dedicated to the memory of tenor saxophonist Illinois Jacquet, the festival seeks to educate, inspire and entertain audiences in the Middle Tennessee area. For information, visit https://www.mtsu.edu/music/jazzfest.php.

For more information about the MTSU Jazz Artist Series, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/music/jazzseries.php.

MTSU’s School of Music is part of the College of Liberal Arts.

— DeAnn Hays ([email protected])