Ripon College Jazz Ensemble to perform fall concert Dec. 8

The Ripon College Jazz Ensemble will perform its fall concert Friday, Dec. 8. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Demmer Recital Hall, C.J. Rodman Center for the Arts, on the campus. There is no admission charge.

The ensemble will perform a variety of big band works, from Duke Ellington’s “Jumpin’ Punkins” from 1939 through the newest release, “Pueblo de Taos,” by the late Wisconsin composer Fred Sturm.

Tribute will be offered to the late Walter Becker with the big band arrangement of Steely Dan’s “Aja.” Two of Oliver Nelson’s classic charts from his Berlin Dialogues, “A (Relative) Calm” and “Checkpoint Charlie” also will be featured. Other music on the program includes Sammy Nestico’s Basie/Sinatra-inspired arrangement of “Fly Me to the Moon” and Thad Jones’s “Big Dipper.”

The jazz combo will perform two other Oliver Nelson classics, “Stolen Moments” and “Yearnin’.”

The ensembles are led by Professor of Music Kurt Dietrich.

Members of the ensemble include:

• Reeds: Rylie Morris ’19 of Dousman, Wisconsin; Janet Koehler ’20 of Brillion, Wisconsin; Kate Myszewski ’19 of Appleton, Wisconsin; Thomas Popies ’21 of Rubicon, Wisconsin; Jessica Miles ’21 of Lancaster, Wisconsin; and Cris Magana ’19 of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
• Trombones: Jacob Kramer ’19 of Ripon Wisconsin; Eric Westberg ’20 of North Mankato, Minnesota; Wyatt Thomas ’20 of New Berlin, Wisconsin; and David Scott of Ripon, Wisconsin.
• Trumpets: Ben Ruetten ’07 of Oshkosh, Wisconsin; Danielle Boerson of Princeton, Wisconsin; Dennis Jaeger ’20 of Waupun, Wisconsin; and Jonathan Simpson of Ripon, Wisconsin.
• Piano: Steve Yeomans of Green Lake, Wisconsin.
• Bass: Erik Dietrich of Ripon, Wisconsin.
• Guitar: Dillon Guelich ’18 of Waukegan, Illinois.
• Drums and percussion: Ben Paulson ’15 of Ripon,Wisconsin; and Thomas Reed ’21 of Berlin, Wisconsin.

Members of the combo who are not in Jazz Ensemble are Bret Jaeger ’84 of Waupun, Wisconsin; saxophone; Geoff Guevara-Geer ’92 of Ripon, Wisconsin, saxophone; and Lauren Good ’19 of Wautoma, Wisconsin, piano.