The Denison University Jazz Ensemble, playing in the style of the great ensembles of Art Blakey and Horace Silver, will perform at 8 p.m. on Wednesday (Nov. 20) in Burke Recital Hall. The concert, directed by Pete Mills, is free and open to the public.

The student ensemble will feature trumpet, trombone, two saxophones, piano, bass and drums playing compositions by Lee Morgan, Duke Ellington, Strayhorn and special works by Mills arranged for the ensemble. The group has also been focusing on improvisation this fall and each player will contribute as a soloist. A young pianist from Columbus, Aaron Diehl, also joins the group for this concert. A high school senior, Diehl is a member of the Columbus Youth Jazz Ensemble. "He's a marvelous talent," says Mills.

An affiliated studio instructor at Denison, Mills received a Canadian Arts Council Grant and, in 1997, was named a North Carolina Jazz Composers Award winner, which funded his debut compact disc, "Momentum." Mills is an active performer, appearing with the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra and the band "Jazz on the Go" in Columbus. He also performs with his own "Pete Mills Quartet" and offers clinics and private instruction.

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:

Name

Barbara Stambaugh

Position Title

Director, Media Relations

Primary Email

stambaughb@denison.edu

Business Phone

(740) 587-8575