The concert which included special guest Hubert Laws, celebrated the famous composer, Don Sebesky.
Established in 2002, the Symphonic Jazz Orchestra is a nonprofit organization committed to inspiring the next generation of musicians with its “Music in the Schools” initiative. They also preserve the distinctly American genre of symphonic jazz through its commissioning program.
The group plays on the Long Beach State campus twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring.
This year’s fall performance was a community concert presented by the Arts for Life, a program that provides the Long Beach community with access to the arts regardless of age, education or economic ability to further enhance community connections.
The concert featured an orchestra conducted by music director Mitch Glickman with special guest, Hubert Laws, an NEA jazz master lutist.
The performance was a celebration of the late composer and arranger Don Sebesky, who worked on songs such as “Amazing Grace,” “Malagueña” and “Sebastian’s Theme.”
Sebesky coordinated over 20 Broadway productions and received Grammy Awards for his original songs and arrangements like “Waltz for Debby” from I Remember Bill in 1998, “Chelsea Bridge” and “Joyful Noise Suite” from Joyful Noise in 1999. Sebesky also played with top big bands and performed on trombone with Claude Thornhill, Kai Winding, Stan Kenton, Maynard Ferguson and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra under the direction of Warren Covington. The acclaimed composer was also known for working behind the scenes at various jazz labels, such as CTI Records.
During the performance, the Symphonic Jazz Orchestra presented the world premiere of “Portals” by composer Christopher Zuar who is the recipient of the seventh George Duke Commissioning Prize.
Zuar wrote the piece to be played by the orchestra, it was a special piece, as it was the first time his own composition had ever been performed.
Glickman also gave members of the Ollie program a lecture on the background of symphonic jazz and Sebesky’s great contributions.
The audience enjoyed “Amazing Grace,” a timeless classic, however, the crowd’s favorite song was “Malagueña.” Following “Malagueña,” the audience cheered loudly and took a stand to acknowledge the performance, as the piece added excitement and originality to the show with boastful drums and instrumentals.
Monica Fitoussi, a concert spectator, had difficulty selecting her favorite piece, although, she felt that “Malagueña” stood out most to her.
“It was beautiful. I loved it,” Fitoussi said.
Special guest NEA jazz master Hubert Laws showcased his talent during “Sebastian’s Theme,” “Amazing Grace” and “Malagueña.” He is among the select few classical musicians who also works in different genres such as jazz, pop and R&B.
The next Symphonic Jazz Orchestra concert is scheduled for May 11, 2024. Check out the Arts for Life website for further information on the upcoming event.