Crowder Jazz Orchestra to perform here Dec. 15

The Crowder Jazz Orchestra will perform at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15, in the theatre of the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center on the Fort Scott Community College campus, 2108 S. Horton St.

The 18-piece orchestra, which is led by Pittsburg State University trumpet professor Todd Hastings, was formed in the fall of 2005 and grew out of a love for traditional big band jazz music and a need for a community/professional-based ensemble at Camp Crowder, which is just south of Neosho, Mo., and the surrounding four-state area, an FSCC statement said.

The band is made up of community and professional musicians that collectively have played with musical greats including Doc Severinsen, Joe Williams, Henry Mancini, The Woody Herman Orchestra, Wayne Newton, and Bob Mintzer.

"The Crowder Jazz Orchestra has the ability to connect with audiences of all musical tastes and ages," FSCC Band Director Betty Jo Laflen. "My students were inspired to attain a higher level of musicianship after hearing the orchestra. Crowder Jazz Orchestra gives an impressive performance that is both exciting and educational at the same time."

The orchestra's recent concerts include performances at the Webb City Jazz Festival, Crowder College, Missouri Southern State University, and the PSU Jazz Festival. This diverse ensemble presents repertoire ranging from classic jazz standards to arrangements by today's leading big band composers and arrangers. Whether performing in concert halls, jazz festivals, or night clubs, the Crowder Jazz Orchestra brings excitement and style to every performance, the FSCC statement said.

For more information, contact FSCC at (620) 223-2700, extension 515.