From BOWLING GREEN AREA COMMUNITY BAND
A Sax-Sational! Mid-Winter Concert is presented by the Bowling Green Area Community Bands this Sunday, March 18 at 4 p.m. Featuring saxophonist Stan George, a Bowling Green resident and Perrysburg Schools’ music educator, the bands offer a great variety of music guaranteed to chase away the winter blues.
Stan George is a second-generation music teacher; his father, Jim George, will share the stage with him on Sunday. Stan has performed around the area, nationally and internationally as both a jazz and classical artist. He has been a member of the former Ohio Air National Guard Band of the Great Lakes “The Triple Nickel”, the professional saxophone quartet Sax Fourth Avenue and many appearances as guest soloist with area bands and orchestras. Currently, George has an active schedule performing with the Toledo-based swing band Hepcat Revival.
For Sunday’s performance, Stan will perform two works with the BGACB Concert Band: Gunther Schuller’s tribute to the 1920s era saxophone pioneer Rudy Wiedoeft entitled “Saxophobia” plus a virtuosic arrangement of the well-known Hungarian folk tune “Czardas.”
BiG Band BG, the jazz band of the BGACB program will offer three selections at the midpoint of the concert, all of which will feature the saxophone. The band’s saxophone section is highlighted with “Four Brothers”, a tune synonymous with the innovative big bands of Woody Herman and “Sticks”, often associated with the great saxophonist Cannonball Adderly. The BiG Band BG closes with the ballad “Body and Soul”, with Stan George returning in a solo role.
In celebration of Leonard Bernstein’s centenary, the BGACB has been programming his compositions on each concert this season. For the Mid-Winter event, the Concert Band is playing “Make Our Garden Grow” from the Bernstein musical Candide.
Several programmatic works are scheduled, including de Meij’s ‘Aquarium,” Patrick Russell’s “Drive!” and a circus-style march” The Stormchasers” by Robert Sheldon.
The BGACB performs in the Bowling Green Schools’ Performing Arts Center, 530 West Poe Road, Bowling Green. The facility is fully accessible to those with physical challenges and there is ample parking.
The BGACB performs a six-concert schedule throughout the year, including two outdoor concerts in the Bowling Green community. The conductors of the BGACB are Thomas R. Headley, Catherine Lewis, Concert Band and William Lake conducts the big band.
This concert is free. Donations are welcome, to support the BGACB, which is a 501c3 non-profit.
