Jazz Ensembles to present fall campus concerts
By MSU Public Relations | Oct 28, 2025
MURRAY, Ky. 鈥 The award-winning Murray State University Jazz Ensembles will present their fall campus concerts on Tuesday, Nov. 4 in historic Lovett Auditorium. The Blue and Gold Jazz Combos program will begin at 6 p.m. followed by the Jazz Band and Jazz Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. The concerts are free and open to the public. Professor of Music Dr. Todd E. Hill is in his twentieth and final year as Director of Jazz Studies at Murray State, and directs all the groups.
At 6 p.m., the Murray State Jazz Gold Jazz Combo will perform a collection of small group classics including 鈥淪ong for My Father鈥 by Horace Silver, 鈥淕ingerbread Boy鈥 by Jimmy Heath, and 鈥淗ere, There, and Everywhere鈥 by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Members of the Gold Combo include Sara Archey of Almo, Kentucky (trumpet), Macy Barron of Paris, Tennessee (trumpet), Will Sheffer of Paducah, Kentucky (trombone), Trey Wimsatt of Cadiz, Kentucky (alto sax), Ethan Sexton of Georgetown, Kentucky (tenor sax), Christian Watkins of Murray, Kentucky (baritone sax), Zhou Merchant of Shelbyville, Kentucky (piano), Robyn Downey of Mayfield, Kentucky (bass) and Shepherd Brown of Madisonville, Kentucky (drums).
The Blue Jazz Combo will follow immediately with an advanced repertoire that includes 鈥淒onna Lee鈥 by Charlie Parker, 鈥淢isty鈥 by Erroll Garner, 鈥淲est Coast Blues鈥 by Wes Montgomery, 鈥淪ambe de Orfeo鈥 by Luiz Bonfi and 鈥淪traight, No Chaser鈥 by Thelonious Monk. The Blue Jazz Combo features an unusual combination of horns including Jeremiah Morris of Murray, Kentucky (trombone), Declan Bingham of Paducah, Kentucky (tenor sax), Chris Gissendaner of Louisville, Kentucky (tenor sax) and Cammy Pillow of Evansville, Indiana (baritone sax). A more traditional rhythm section includes Noah Schneider of Madisonville, Kentucky (piano), Abbie Tompkins of Madisonville, Kentucky (vibes), Sean Howell of Mayfield, Kentucky (bass) and Graham Gerard of Prospect, Kentucky (drums).
Following the combos there will be a brief interval for setting up.
At 7:30 p.m., the big bands will take the stage. The Murray State Jazz Band will be performing a number of big band classics and standards including 鈥淯ndecided鈥 by Charlie Shavers, 鈥淜ashmere鈥 by Conrad O. Johnson, 鈥淭his Can鈥檛 Be Love鈥 by Rodgers and Hart, 鈥淎 Warm Breeze鈥 by Sammy Nestico, 鈥淓merald Eyes鈥 by Larry Kerchner and 鈥淚 Wish鈥 by Stevie Wonder. Members of the Murray State Jazz Band are saxophonists Xander Slover (Cadiz, Kentucky), Christian Watkins (Murray, Kentucky), Ethan Sexton (Georgetown, Kentucky), Alison Dennison (Harrisburg, Illinois) and Sam LeMarble (Lexington, Kentucky). Trumpets are Damien Merrell (Hanson, Kentucky), Sara Archey (Almo, Kentucky), Maxx Stobaugh (Madisonville, Kentucky) and Joshua Buxton, Lacey Stewart and Tim Hanley (all of Hopkinsville, Kentucky). Trombones are Kannon Brown (Medina, Tennessee), Cooper Barnett (Evansville, Indiana), Benny Arvin (Crestwood, Kentucky) and Judah Maddox (Madisonville, Kentucky). Rhythm players are pianist Frank Newton (Owensboro, Kentucky), vibraphonist Isabella Hallstead (Waverly, Tennessee), guitarist Jakob Winstead (Madisonville, Kentucky), bassists Robyn Downey (Mayfield, Kentucky) and Nicholas Sokolov (Paducah, Kentucky) and drummer Bryce Blanford (Henderson, Kentucky).
The Murray State Jazz Orchestra will close the program with a widely varied repertoire including 鈥淏ig Swing Face鈥 by Bill Pots, 鈥淪unny鈥 by Bobby Hebb, Antonio Carlos Jobim鈥檚 鈥淐orcovado,鈥 Stan Kenton鈥檚 鈥淢y Funny Valentine,鈥 Tito Puente鈥檚 鈥淩an Kan Kan,鈥 鈥淚t Might as well be Spring,鈥 arranged by Don Schamber and Stevie Wonder鈥檚 鈥淪ir Duke.鈥 Members of the Jazz Orchestra include saxophonists Nick Mehne (Evansville, Indiana), Chris Gissendaner (Louisville, Kentucky), Declan Bingham (Paducah, Kentucky), Hannah Nix (Murray, Kentucky) and Cammy Pillow (Evansville, Indiana). Trumpets are Zack Mitchell (Hopkinsville, Kentucky), Dalton Darnall (Mayfield, Kentucky), Giselle French (Murray, Kentucky), Trent Browne (Nashville, Illinois), Andy Slown (Radcliff, Kentucky) and Alyssa Shrader (Elizabethtown, Kentucky). Trombones include Jeremiah Morris (Murray, Kentucky), Payne DeHaven (Elizabethtown, Kentucky), Bryson Barger (Murray, Kentucky), Will Sheffer (Paducah, Kentucky) and Ethan Pennycuick (Eureka, Missouri). Rhythm section members are pianist Abbie Tompkins (Madisonville, Kentucky), vibraphonist Zhou Merchant (Shelbyville, Kentucky), bassist Briana Talty (Fishers, Indiana), guitarist Addison Heppner (Princeton, Kentucky), drummer J.L. Cinotto (Shelbyville, Kentucky) and Latin percussionist Devin Owens (Elizabethtown, Kentucky).
Under Hill's leadership, during the past twenty years the Murray State Jazz Orchestra has produced five album releases, performed by invitation four times at the famed Elmhurst College Jazz Festival (winning 鈥淥utstanding Big Band鈥 along with a plethora of soloist awards) and the prestigious MidWest International Band Clinic in Chicago. The Jazz Orchestra has performed by invitation at the Kentucky Music Educators Association Conference as a featured group for the state's music teachers a record five times since 2006. Hill was awarded KMEA鈥檚 esteemed 鈥淥utstanding University Music Educator鈥 in 2016.