MOUNT VERNON — The Knox Community Jazz Orchestra brings its swinging sound back to Ariel Foundation Park on Memorial Day, Monday, May 26, announcing the unofficial start of summer.
The free concert begins at 4:30 p.m. at the Schnormeier Event Center.
Music lovers who have followed the local big band since it debuted in 2017 can expect to hear not only some old favorites from the Swing Era but also a good many Latin-influenced arrangements that the group has added to its repertoire.
“We’ll be playing Glenn Miller’s ‘String of Pearls,’ for example, as well as Sammy Nestico’s ‘Fun Time’ recorded by the Count Basie Orchestra,” said Ted Buehrer, who leads the 20-
member ensemble.
“But we’re calling the show ‘Samba into Summer,’ so we will also be playing a number of Brazilian sambas and bossa novas, as well as an Afro-Cuban mambo and a cha-cha.”
As a Memorial Day tribute to military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States Armed Forces, the jazz orchestra will also play Glenn Miller’s arrangement of “American Patrol.”
In another nod to the orchestra’s tradition of featuring newer music, the group will play newer songs like “Orilla del Mar,” “Since You Put It That Way,” and “Fry Pie.”
“We’re really pleased to be returning to Ariel Foundation Park,” said Buehrer, a music professor at Kenyon College who plays trumpet with the jazz orchestra in addition to conducting.
“It’s hard to believe this is our eighth season, and many of our musicians have been with the group since the beginning. We know each other well, and our sound is that much sharper and more cohesive.”
Concert goers may use the park’s chairs or bring their own. For more information, visit www.arielfoundationpark.org or follow the park on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
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