Commencement Eve pops concert features Little Apple Big Band with eight student vocalists

Twenty popular jazz tunes from the 1930s through today will highlight the concert, which features Bruce Johnstone and the Little Apple Big Band backing eight talented student vocalists.

This marks the 17th year for the Commencement Eve Pops, which has become one of the year’s most anticipated entertainment events.

Rockefeller Arts Center Director Jefferson Westwood will again serve as the producer.

“We start with a theme and then we look at repertoire that fits with the theme,” Mr. Westwood explained. “This year in looking for a theme, I came across a lot of charts that we had that didn’t fit with the other themes we had done. These were great charts, which led me to the theme of ‘All That Jazz’ as a way to open things up for the material.”

With a theme in hand, Mr. Westwood met with Mr. Johnstone, who serves as the conductor and music director, to begin the search for songs.

Mr. Johnstone, who is currently the director of curricular jazz ensembles at SUNY Fredonia, is a noted jazz baritone saxophonist and composer with a solid international reputation. He is a former featured soloist with big band jazz legends Maynard Ferguson and Woody Herman, and a “DownBeat” magazine poll winner.

The selection process began with more than 100 titles and was whittled down to the top 20. Ironically, the tune “All That Jazz,” most recently featured in the hit musical “Chicago,” was not among the songs that made the final cut.

“Bruce Johnstone has two student jazz bands on campus, so we were able to try out some of the material,” Mr. Westwood explained. “’All That Jazz,’ the tune, didn’t fit with the rest of the repertoire.”

However, there are plenty of popular tunes that made the final cut including “Unforgettable,” “Love is Here to Stay,” “Makin’ Whoopee,” “What a Wonderful World,” “Whatever Lola Wants (Lola Gets)” and “Come Fly With Me.” And Mr. Westwood has a favorite among the mix.

“The song I’m most excited about is ‘Me and My Shadow,’” he said. “I can remember listening to it on the radio when I was just a little kid.”

As for the program as a whole, Mr. Westwood described it as “a lot of fun.” It features duets, SATB (soprano, alto, tenor and bass) arrangements with four or eight singers and instrumentals including “Strike Up the Band” and “Sweet Georgia Brown.”

Selecting the songs, Mr. Westwood explained, is only part of the challenge. Deciding which order to perform them in takes considerable thought. The program must engage the audience, set a proper tempo and allow for costume changes.

“The easy part is picking what to start with and what to end with. Choosing the ideal order can take forever,” he said. “There are mind-boggling numbers of possibilities.”

The role of Commencement Eve Pops producer is one that Mr. Westwood looks forward to each season. In addition to serving as a creative outlet, he said it gives him a chance to work closely with the talented faculty members and students at SUNY Fredonia.

In addition to Mr. Johnstone, faculty members serving on the creative team include stage director Paul Mockovak and costume designer Dixon Reynolds of the Department of Theatre and Dance and rehearsal accompanist Shinobu Takagi from the School of Music.

“These are the talented people who make the show possible,” Mr. Westwood said. “It’s a very gratifying experience for me.”

Tickets are available through the SUNY Fredonia Ticket Office in the Williams Center, by phone at 716-673-3501 (1-866-441-4928) or online at www.fredonia.edu/tickets.