The Oklahoma Christian University Jazz Band Concert features a love-story-inspired set planned for a Royal Caribbean cruise later this year.
The concert, scheduled for Thursday at 7 p.m. in Judd Theater, will be taken overseas in early May as 28 students tour on Mariner of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.
The ensemble will perform the following songs:
- “Don’t Blame the Salsa” by Erik Sherburne
- “Sway” by John Christian
- “L-O-V-E” by Bert Kaempfert and Milt Gambler
- “How Sweet It Is” by Holland and Dozier
- “Just Friends” arranged by Scott Ragsdale
- “There’s the Rub” by Gordon Goodwin
Chair of the Department of Music, professional saxophone player and Oklahoma Christian Jazz
Band Director Heath Jones explained he organized the repertoire to tell a cheesy love story.
“I organized these songs kind of in a funny theme of this guy and girl seeing each other at the buffet line,” Jones said. “and she is complaining about the salsa being too hot. And he says, ‘Hey don’t blame the salsa.’”
The story concludes with “There’s the Rub” as the couple breaks apart and decides to just be friends.
“I was telling [the band] my funny story and they said, ‘Oh it doesn’t have a happy ending?’ I go, ‘No, not this time, but maybe the next cruise,’” Jones said.
Jones said the concert will feature vocal soloists in “Sway,” “L-O-V-E” and “How Sweet It Is.”
“Ryan Dillinger, he plays tenor saxophone, but he’s also a great singer,” Jones said. “He’s singing two Michael Bublé songs. And then Ella Shane, she plays keyboard, but she also has a really nice voice that’s similar to Natalie Cole.”
Jones called this year’s ensemble his “happy jazz band,” noting the group behaves more like a group of friends than a class.
“With my jazz band, it’s like they’re all friends,” Jones said. “We all like jazz and we all have a good time and, you know, people don’t miss class. Our jazz band’s right after Chapel and the funny thing is as soon as Chapel’s out, they immediately come cause they like it. No one’s ever tardy because they’re excited.”
Elise Lewis, a trombone player in jazz band for two and a half years, said she appreciates the culture of the group.
“We’ve worked really hard to build our culture,” Lewis said. “The point of jazz is to just have fun making music because you can do all different styles and it still be jazz. We get to just have fun.”
Lewis said this year feels special in part because of Jones’ repertoire choices.
“There’s just like some magic sauce on it this year,” Lewis said. “Dr. Jones has done a really good job this year of picking some really great repertoire. He’s picked something to highlight each of the sections and to not just have the same person solo every time. We’re doing all different styles to keep it fresh and it’s still challenging in a way that’s not like, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re never gonna get this.’”
Jones’ idea to write the concert order like a love story gives it personality and breathes new life into some older songs according to Lewis.
“It was so funny when he told us because we didn’t know where it was gonna go and we were just trying to guess which piece was gonna come next based on his story,” Lewis said. “It’s made it really fun and it helps give some extra personality, especially to some established songs like Sway that’s been out for I don’t know how long.”
The cruise in May will be the fifth time the Oklahoma Christian’s jazz band has played for Royal Caribbean Cruises.
The band will perform the same set in concert on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Judd Theater, no tickets required.
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