Get ready to warm up the winter Thursday, Feb. 2, when MTSU’s School of Music blazes into 2023 with the renowned Joe Davidian Trio as guests of its popular MTSU Jazz Artist Series.

Jazz pianist Davidian, bassist Jamie Ousley and drummer Austin McMahon will heat up the stage of Hinton Hall inside MTSU’s Wright Music Building, 1439 Faulkinberry Drive, with standard jazz tunes as well as original compositions and arrangements beginning at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 2.

The three, who also perform as The Lost Melody Trio, will be joined by MTSU Jazz Studies Program faculty Don Aliquo on saxophone and Jamey Simmons on trumpet for some of their numbers.  

“The concert will showcase the sound of a long-standing jazz piano trio,” said Simmons, who serves as jazz program director. “The exciting thing for us as teachers is to bring in musicians that have a long-term commitment to the music, showing future generations the creative possibilities of this music.”

Davidian, Ousley and McMahon also will present a free public master class at 4:20 p.m. Feb. 2 in Room 101 of the Saunders Fine Arts Building, which adjoins the Wright Music Building. A campus map is available at https://bit.ly/MTSUParking.

Tickets are $10 each for the public. Admission is free for MTSU students, faculty and staff with a current ID. Discounts also are available for area band students and educators.

Concertgoers can reserve tickets by contacting Simmons at james.simmons@mtsu.edu. Tickets also will be available at the door, payable by cash or check only.

Simmons noted that Davidian has always held a deep affinity for feel-good rhythms and strong melodies, nurtured throughout his childhood years in his classical piano studies and through the completion of his master’s degree at the University of Miami.

The pianist has performed live all over the world with some of the greatest musicians in jazz and as a sideman on dozens of recordings. Davidian has released five albums of his own since 1999, including “Live at the Jazz Cave” volumes one and two, which document the best of his trio’s live performances at the Nashville Jazz Workshop and represent a 20-year musical relationship.

In 2019, Davidian won first prize in the Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition, an accolade that described him as an “undeniable voice on the piano.” He currently lives, performs and teaches in New York City.

A preview of the trio’s talents, captured during an April performance at the Nashville Jazz Workshop, is available below.

Series marks 23 years this season

Now in its 23rd season, the MTSU Jazz Artist Series brings internationally renowned jazz artists to campus for performances and educational workshops. Past guest artists have included some of the most important musicians and educators in jazz history.

The 2022-23 series will conclude Saturday, April 1, with the celebrated Illinois Jacquet Jazz Festival, the annual daylong event that showcases performances by school ensembles and MTSU groups, jam sessions, educational sessions and a headline artist concert, this year featuring dynamic jazz drummer Adam Nussbaum.

More information on the festival, which honors the late tenor saxophonist Jean-Baptiste “Illinois” Jacquet, is available at www.mtsu.edu/music/jazzfest.php.

MTSU’s Jazz Studies Program in the School of Music offers students both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in jazz studies as well as performing opportunities through its student jazz ensembles. To learn more about the program, visit www.mtsu.edu/music/jazz.php.

The internationally recognized School of Music in MTSU’s College of Liberal Arts offers public musical events, including student and faculty recitals, almost daily during the spring and fall semesters. Its degree programs include music composition, vocal and instrumental performance and education emphases and music industry.  

To learn more about the MTSU School of Music and see its calendar of events, visit www.mtsumusic.com.  

The website for MTSU’s College of Liberal Arts, which comprises 11 departments with more than 20 academic majors and course offerings from the fine and performing arts, the humanities and the social sciences, is www.mtsu.edu/liberalarts.

— Gina E. Fann (gina.fann@mtsu.edu)