The Columbus Jazz Orchestra (CJO) and the Denison University Gospel Choir will give a joint performance, featuring guest trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, at 8 p.m. on Wednesday (Nov. 9) in Swasey Chapel. The concert, which is sponsored by the Lilly Program Artist Series, is free and open to the public.

CJO began in 1973 as a vehicle to create performance opportunities for jazz musicians in a big band setting. Thirty years later it is considered one of the world's finest jazz orchestras and a model for success, presenting big band jazz and guest artists in a concert setting to thousands each year. CJO is known for its bold sound and for the recreation of music by masters such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Stan Kenton and Gil Evans.

All members of the CJO are seasoned professionals, having performed with the greatest names in show business and toured with many of the legendary big bands, including Buddy Rich, Ray Charles and Woody Herman. Gordon, guest artist for this concert, enjoys an extraordinary career as a performer, conductor, composer, arranger and educator.

Gordon received the Jazz Journalists Association Trombonist of the Year Award in 2001 and 2002, the Jazz Journalists Association Critics Choice Award for Best Trombone in 2000 and was nominated for the Jazzpar Award in 2003. In addition to his thriving solo career, he tours regularly leading the Wycliffe Gordon Quartet.

The CJO is led by Artistic Director and trumpet virtuoso Byron Stripling. He has toured internationally as a soloist with the Boston Pops Orchestra and the New York Pops. He has been a featured soloist at the Hollywood Bowl and performs at jazz festivals throughout the world. Stripling is also an accomplished actor and singer and was chosen to star in the lead role of the Broadway-bound musical, "Satchmo." He was educated at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., and the Interlochen Arts Academy in Interlochen, Mich.

The Denison University Gospel Choir comprises students, faculty and staff of all races and nationalities from both the Denison campus and local community. They are directed by Raymond Wise, a member of Denison's class of 1983. The choir has grown from 26 members when Wise organized it in 2000, to its current membership of 100+ voices. Choir members are enrolled in a music course, which was devised as a means of reaching out to various groups around the campus and to add a different form of music to the department of music.

In addition to serving on the Denison faculty, Wise also teaches at Ohio State University and Trinity Lutheran Seminary. He is founder and president of Raise Productions, a gospel music production company in Columbus. He recently served as assistant chorus master for Opera Columbus' production of "Aida." Wise earned his master and doctoral degrees in music education at Ohio State.

Calendar Listing:

CALENDAR LISTING: Denison University, Granville -- The Columbus Jazz Orchestra and the Denison Gospel Choir presents a concert, featuring guest trombonist Wycliffe Gordon; 8.p.m., Wednesday (Nov. 9) in Swasey Chapel. Free and open to the public. Contact (740) 587-6220 to confirm information.

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

For press inquiries:

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Barbara Stambaugh

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(740) 587-8575