The SIU Jazz Ensemble rehearses ahead of the Nov. 4 concert. (Photo provided)
October 28, 2026
SIU Jazz Ensemble to present fall recital Nov. 4
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Broadway standards, Brazilian choro and a superhero soundtrack share the stage when the SIU School of Music’s Jazz Ensemble presents a free concert at 7 p.m. Nov. 4 at the Old Baptist Foundation Recital Hall, 980 Faner Drive.
Every piece on the program is a new arrangement by Isaac Lausell, director of jazz studies at the School of Music, who will conduct the group and play bass.
The traditional side of the setlist includes “All the Things You Are,” the standard Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II wrote for the 1939 Broadway musical “Very Warm for May.” The ensemble also performs “Doce de Coco” by Jacob do Bandolim, a key figure in the choro revival of the 1940s and 1950s.
Lausell’s own compositions push the music in bolder directions. “Perraz” playfully blends jazz, Afro-Cuban influences, and reggaeton. “Steps of a Giant” pays tribute to the late John Coltrane, whose work reshaped jazz composition and improvisation.
Jazz’s connection to film is also highlighted through an arrangement of the classic “Spider-Man” theme, interwoven with music from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The ensemble features Max J. Sawyer on soprano saxophone, Sam C. Behan on the alto saxophone, Ian C. Theirl on tenor saxophone, Myles Daniels on guitar, Dylan Fitzwater on piano and Gianni Rodgers on drums.
For more information, email Isaac Lausell at isaac.lausell@siu.edu.