Santa Fe College Jazz Ensemble brings classic compositions to life
Press release from Santa Fe College
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Santa Fe Jazz Ensemble will honor jazz composers at the annual “Jazz Up Spring” concert on Friday, March 7, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. in the Jackson N. Sasser Fine Arts Hall at Santa Fe College’s Northwest Campus, 3000 NW 83rd Street, Gainesville.
The program opens with a student-led jazz combo that will perform a mixture of traditional and modern jazz selections, followed by the SF Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. David Smith, who will perform selections by some of the greatest jazz musicians and composers in the history of jazz, including Oliver Nelson, Benny and Buster Moten, Bobby Troupe, and many others.
“Jazz, a style of music that was created by African American musicians during the 1900s,” Smith said, “involves a rich blend of European and African influences. One of the greatest things about the style is that musicians are given the opportunity to express themselves freely while working cohesively in a group setting.”
Last year’s concert celebrated the work of jazz trailblazers Duke Ellington and Count Basie. Continuing that tradition, this year’s performance will feature a new selection of classic jazz compositions, showcasing the talent and dedication of Santa Fe College’s student musicians.
“We encourage you to come out and support our student performers for a spectacular evening of jazz,” Smith said.
Tickets are $16 for adults; $10 for seniors, students, children, and military service members; and free to SF students, faculty, and staff with college ID cards. Tickets are available from the Fine Arts Hall box office at 352-395-4181 or online from Showpass at: showpass.com/jazz-up-spring-3.
“Jazz Up Spring” is sponsored and organized by the Santa Fe College Fine Arts and Entertainment Technology Department.
Somewhere along the line jazz fell out of popularity. Perhaps it waned with the Boomers then even more so with Gen X. Most people under 40 these days don’t given jazz a second thought. It’s good to see these young folks so enthusiastic about this kind of music.