Salem, Ohio  --  The Kent State Jazz Ensemble, featuring top performers in the Kent State School of Music, will swing into town Sunday, Oct. 23. The band will kick-off its Swing, Be-bop and Big Band styles such as Salsa and Fusion at 3 p.m. in Kent State University at Salem’ City Center auditorium located at 230 North Lincoln Ave. The event is free and open to the public.

Parking, including handicapped parking, is located in the rear of the building. Otherwise, patrons may park in the lots to the North of the building, or in the municipal lot off of Second Street.

The KSU Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Chas Baker, is an award-winning big band featuring the talents of some of the best instrumentalists in the Hugh A. Glauser School of Music at Kent State.  The program will include music by Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Oliver Nelson, Count Basie and more. 

Last year, the Kent Jazz Ensembles won Outstanding Band awards at the jazz festival held at Elmhurst College. Past Kent Jazz Ensembles have won Outstanding Band awards at collegiate jazz festivals such as Notre Dame, Ohio Valley Jazz Festival, Quinnipiac (Conn.) Aquinas College Jazz Festival (Grand Rapids), Tri-C Jazz Festival, and the Elmhurst Collegiate Jazz Festival (Chicago). The band has also performed at the Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.

Additional concerts include the Kent State Gospel Choir Sunday Nov. 20 at 3 p.m. and the Kent State Salem Communiversity Choir on Saturday Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. All concerts are free and held in the second floor auditorium of the Kent State City Center. For additional information, please call Ruth McCullagh at 330-337-4247.

The Kent State Columbiana County campuses, students can earn a bachelor’s degree in 14 different disciplines or an associate’s degree in 14 different areas. The Kent State Columbiana County campuses, which include Kent State at East Liverpool and Kent State at Salem, are home to more than 3,500 students. For more information please visit www.col.kent.edu or call 330-332-0361. Fall informational nights are Nov.17 and Dec. 1.