Article by Lianna Salva, The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Things will be swinging at the University Center for the Arts tonight at the Duke Ellington jazz concert. The concert will be a tribute to the “big band” legend performed by CSU students of Jazz Ensemble I and II.

The performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Griffin Concert Hall at the UCA. Tickets cost $7 for CSU students, $1 for youth ages 2 to 17 and $12 for adults.

Under the direction of Jazz Studies Director, Peter Sommer, Jazz Ensemble will showcase Ellington’s music while attempting the same energy as the jazz legend.

“Rehearsals with Jazz Ensemble have been fantastic,” Sommer said. “The students have been studying the classic recordings and are ready to realize the music at an extremely high level. We have been striving to maintain the Ellington aesthetic while still playing the music with our own sense of energy and joyfulness.”

Duke Ellington’s music inspired many other genres, including blues, gospel and classical.