Enjoy an evening of jazz Thursday

Parkland residents won’t want to miss Thursday’s “Evening of Jazz” at Mineral Area College.

The MAC/Mineral Area Fine Arts Academy Jazz Ensemble and Kicks Band perform Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. in the college’s Fine Arts Theater. Admission is $4 and free for kids 12 and under and anyone with a MAC ID.

The Kicks Band, an invitation-only band, consists of five saxes, five trumpets, four trombones, and four rhythm section members.

Austin Sikes is the director of the Kicks Band and jazz ensemble.

Sikes explained how the Kicks Band has a long and storied history since its creation by Mike O’Brien in 1978.

“I recently spoke at length to the director of jazz at Mizzou and I am now convinced that it is one of the most successful community jazz bands in the state,” he said. “This is largely due to its dedicated members and the work of our former director, Mr. Dan Schunks.”

Several donations have been made to the band’s jazz music library.

“We are just now getting a chance to explore some of that music,” said Sikes.

According to Sikes, before jazz legend Louie Bellson donated part of his big band’s music library before he died in 2009.

“We will be playing two of his selections,” said Sikes. “We also had some music donated from the great Jim Widner Big Band that we will also be performing [on Thursday evening]. It is truly an honor to play their music.”

For the first time, All-State Jazz vocalist Sarah Politte will be featured with the Kicks Band. She will sing Michael Buble’s arrangement of “It Had Better Be Tonight.”

MAC/MAFAA’s Jazz Ensemble will also perform at Thursday’s concert. This band is open to community members who want to continue playing music, or to college students who participate to earn college credit. This ensemble will also feature Politte for two selections as well as drummer Sam Hagerty and lead trumpet Caleb Dougherty.

Sikes added that many of the Kicks Band members will perform at a special concert on Oct. 26 that is organized by MAC’s Dr. Kevin White. The concert will showcase many of the area’s most talented people.

The next concert for the two groups is Dec. 5, followed by the annual jazz festival in March.

“We have former members of the Maynard Ferguson Band, Steve Wiest and Chip McNeill, coming,” said Sikes.

Pam Clifton is a contributing writer for the Daily Journal.