The Lion's Roar

Volume 75, Issue 20 Southeastern Louisiana University - Hammond, LA February 19, 2004

Maynard Ferguson a hit at the Columbia

By Lora Sheppard
Staff Writer

Last Thursday, trumpet legend Maynard Ferguson and his "Big Bop Nouveau Band" performed to an excited audience at the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts in downtown Hammond. The performance also featured the Southeastern Trumpet Ensemble.

To open the show, the Delta Omega Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia presented Ferguson and his band emerging on a stage filled with color and light. Excitement seemed to run high throughout the audience as the entertainers passionately played.

Ferguson, one of the world's best "scream" trumpeters, performed jazz classics such as "Birdland" and "It Don't Mean a Thing (If it Ain't Got That Swing)." Also played were the Indian-based tune "Misera-Dhenuka" and the popular "Gonna Fly Now (the theme from the movie "Rocky")."

The applause from the audience throughout the evening indicated that the crowd was enjoying the show and the band seemed to feed off of the energy with each passing performance.

Ferguson's supporting cast members included Patrick Hession, Carl Fischer and Kevin Meads on trumpet, Reggie Watkins on trombone, Juan Turros and Matt Blostein on saxophone, William Bonness on piano, Craig Butterfield on bass and Stockton Helbing on drums.

"It was incredible," said Freshman David White. "[I] never heard anything like it, and I'll probably never hear anything like it again."