FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 23, 2003
Contact: Michael Corby
904.632.3310

Florida Community College Jazz Ensemble I and II offer free concert Oct. 28

The internationally acclaimed FCCJ Jazz Ensemble I, Director, Matt Vance and Jazz Ensemble II, Director, Paul Weikle present a free concert Tuesday, October 28 at 7:30 pm in the Nathan H. Wilson Center for the Arts. Music featured in this concert will be drawn from the Big Band libraries of Count Basie, Stan Kenton, Gordon Goodwin, John Fedchock, Thad Lones and many others.

The Florida Community College Jazz Studies program is now in its 34th year, and its eighth year under current director Matt Vance. The program affords students the opportunity to perform in one of two jazz ensembles (big bands) or two jazz combos (smaller groups focusing on improvisation). The FCCJ Jazz Ensemble I has been acknowledged as one of the finest community college jazz ensembles in the country, having performed by invitation at numerous International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) Annual Conferences. Vance was chosen to direct the 1999 IAJE Community College All-Star Big Band in Anaheim, and in 2000 Florida Community College’s program placed seven student musicians out of 20 chosen nationwide in the IAJE Community College All-Star Big Band in New Orleans. In 2003, the FCCJ Jazz Ensemble I was the only community college group invited to play at the conference in Toronto. The FCCJ Jazz Ensemble I has also performed at the Jacksonville Jazz Festival.

In 2001 the Ensemble I released a CD, Jazz from 11901 Beach Boulevard. The CD was submitted to the IAJE as an audition piece, and resulted in the invitation to play at the Toronto conference.
For more information about the concert, call 904.646.2113 or 904.646.2010.