[178] Trombonist Ferber opens MTSU Jazz Artist Series Oct. 29, joined by university ensembles

MURFREESBORO — Jazz trombonist Alan Ferber will join the MTSU Faculty Jazztet and the MTSU Jazz Ensemble 1 Thursday, Oct. 29, to headline the first of four concerts in the 2015-16 MTSU Jazz Artist Series.

Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29 concert are $10 for the public. Admission is free for MTSU students, faculty and staff with a valid ID, and discounts for area music students and educators also are available.

Recognized as one of the leading trombonists of his generation by Down Beat magazine’s International Critics and Readers Poll, Ferber also is an accomplished arranger and composer.

During his Oct. 29 visit, Ferber will present a free 11:30 a.m. jazz clinic in Room 101 of MTSU’s Saunders Fine Arts Building. You can find a printable campus map at http://tinyurl.com/MTSUParking2015-16.

“We’re thrilled to have such a multitalented artist to perform for this special concert,” said Jamey Simmons, director of the jazz studies program in MTSU’s School of Music.

“Not only will the concert showcase Ferber’s playing and compositional abilities alongside our student and faculty artists, but he will also share with us his gifts as a renowned educator.”

Ferber has released five albums as a bandleader, often blurring the traditional boundaries of jazz tradition and innovation.

His most recent release, “March Sublime,” was nominated for a 2014 Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. He’ll feature some of those performances in his MTSU concert.

Advance tickets may be reserved by calling 615-898-2724 or emailing Simmons at james.simmons@mtsu.edu. Tickets also can be purchased at the door.

Now in its 17th 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 2015-16 Jazz Artist Series continues Monday, Nov. 23, when MTSU jazz faculty and their special guests celebrate the holiday season with the return of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s “The Jazz Nutcracker.” The 2016 performances include the jazz faculty’s “The Music of Wayne Shorter” Feb. 18 and a visit from saxophonist Steve Wilson March 19 as part of the daylong MTSU Illinois Jacquet Jazz Festival.

Each of the concerts is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Hinton Hall.

For more information about MTSU’s Jazz Artist Series, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/music/jazzseries.php. For details on more MTSU School of Music performances, please visit http://www.mtsumusic.com or call 615-898-2493.