Tag Archives: Nova Nighthawks Jazz Ensemble

NOVA Night at the Carlyle Club!

November 8, 2018 bconley

NOVA Alexandria Jazz students performing Monday, November 5th, 2018 at the Carlyle Club in Alexandria, Virginia. Photo by Britt Conley

NOVA Alexandria Jazz Ensembles performed at the Carlyle Club on Monday night! The evening began with “The Generation Gap” One of the great Jazz combos in the Jazz Studies Program, featuring:

John Butler, alto saxophone and flute; Christopher Kaplan, guitar; Burvin Jenkins, guitar (group leader); Jacqueline Rodriguez, piano; Cristhian Arango, bass and Fernando Galleas, drums.

Our second Ensemble, The Jazz Standards, features: Michael Barr, alto saxophone; Marie Himel, tenor saxophone and flute; Andrew Grabowski, guitar; Bryan Dicks, guitar; Rodney Avery, piano; Marcus Levitan, bass; Kurt Steinbacher, drums; Steven Melnick, voice

NOVA Alexandria Jazz students performing Monday, November 5th, 2018 at the Carlye Club in Alexandria, Virginia. Photo by Britt Conley

he Director of our Jazz Studies program, John Kocur, set the story for the NOVA Nighthawks Jazz Ensemble’s evening theme “The Sounds of Hollywood.”

John Kocur, director of Jazz studies at NOVA Alexandria directed the evening of NOVA Alexandria Jazz students performing Monday, November 5th, 2018 at the Carlyle Club in Alexandria, Virginia. Photo by Britt Conley

The program included:

Zip-Ah-Dee-Doo-Dah

Flirtibird

Call Me Irresponsible

Soul Bossa Nova

I Wanna Be Like You

Everyday I Have The Blues

You’re Welcome

The Jazz Band did a wonderful job. The music was fun, energized and soulful! Especially Soul Bossa Nova!

The NOVA Nighthawks Jazz Ensemble (Big Band) features:

Saxophones: Kevin Bennett, John Butler, Caryl Greenfield, Marie Himel and Susan Shapiro

Trumpet: Larry Craven, Ludwig Goon, Grason Stewart, Jacob Shapiro and Ronald Umbeck

Trombone: Thomas Fonda, Adam Kissel and Jason Smith

Rhythm Section: Roger Wood, guitar; Andrew Grabowski, guitar; Brian Kang, guitar; Rodney M Avery, piano; Owen Squire, piano; John Kang, bass; Luke Neyland, drums and Joseph Dirsa, drums.

Aside from having such a great ambiance, at the Carlye Club, we also enjoyed the amazing menu. A night of dinner and jazz is always fun. Some got up and danced the night away!

NOVA Alexandria Jazz students performing Monday, November 5th, 2018 at the Carlyle Club in Alexandria, Virginia. Photo by Britt ConleyWe’d like to thank The Carlyle Club for this phenomenal opportunity for our students to perform in an amazing venue.

To see the NOVA Jazz Ensembles again, they will be marching in the the Alexandria, Saint Patricks Day Parade on March 2nd! If you can them there, post a photo on Instagram! #Musicatnova

The Jazz Ensembles will be performing at The Torpedo Factory on April 30th from 6:30-10:00pm for JAZZ for JUSTICE.

They will also be at The NOVA, Spring Concert on May 3rd in the Schlesinger Arts Center at 8pm!

For more information about our events, please visit www.facebook.com/MusicAtNOVA

And

www.instagram.com/musicatnova

Band, Chorus, Concerts, Jazz

2017 NOVA Holiday Concert

December 15, 2017 bconley

What a great night!!! The NOVA Alexandria Music Department presented it’s annual Holiday Concert on December 7th, 2017.

The NOVA Community Chorus at the 2017 Holiday Concert. Photo by Britt Conley

The evening began with the NOVA Community Chorus performing, For Unto Us a Child is Born from “Messiah” G.F. Handel. Based on Isaiah 9:6.

Sure on This Shining Night from “Nocturnes” by Morten Lauridsen was also a hit. The work was based on a poem by James Agee.

The Choir ended it’s first half of the concert with a very merry rendition of Jingle Bells by James Pierpont, arranged by Gordon Langford.

Next up were our NOVA Nighthawks Jazz Ensemble beginning their set with God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen arranged by Gordon Goodwin. The group also performed Blue Christmas by Billy Hayes and Jay Johnson. The work was arranged by Austin Windorski and The Little Drummer Boy by Katherine Kennicott Davis, arranged by Bob Washut.

The NOVA Nighthawks Jazz Ensemble at the 2017 Holiday Concert. Photo by Britt Conley

The minute they began, the phones begin popping up to catch the moment.

The NOVA Nighthawkes Jazz Ensemble at the 2017 Holiday Concert. Photo by Britt Conley

John Kocur conducted phenomenally this evening! As always…

Even before the concert, everyone was rehearsing…

A great time to grab a few, behind the scenes photos…

The Nighthawks performed wonderfully

Kyle Wright sings with The NOVA Nighthawks Jazz Ensemble at the 2017 Holiday Concert. Photo by Britt Conley

Holiday Jazz is really wonderful!

In the end the ensemble slowly walked off, leaving Christopher Gardner to end our first half of the concert with a rousing drum solo, and the stage to himself…

The audience returned to a wonderful surprise to many, but not our students. Our music students are not only enjoying our new Center for Design, Media and the Arts, they are also enjoying all the brand new Steinway’s that fill each room!

Tonight our Dean, Jim McClellan and Jonathan Kolm, our Assistant Dean and Director of the Music Program here at NOVA, were presented our new, official Steinway School plaque! We are all so excited for what this means for our college.

The Steinway School Presentation. Photo by Britt Conley

After our exciting Steinway presentation, the NOVA Alexandria Band hit the stage with, “And the Mountains Echoed: Gloria! by Robert Longfield, followed by Gesu Bambino (Pastorale for Christmas by Pietro Yon, arranged by Mark Rogers and the Dreidel Dance by Robert Thurston.

The NOVA Alexandria Band at the 2017 Holiday Concert. Photo by Britt Conley

There was even a secondary Brass rendition of Jingle Bells!

A phenomenal night for the Band!

For the last works, our new chorus director, Chad Steffey, came out to conduct, “The Many Moods of Christmas, Suite III…

The NOVA Community Chorus with the NOVA Alexandria Band performing at the 2017 Holiday Concert. Photo by Britt Conley

A fun-filled set of holiday styled songs…

A grand time was had by all! The audience was kind enough to give everyone a standing ovation!

Thanks to everyone who performed, helped organize and those who came to hear what we have to offer! We hope you have a wonderful holiday!

We look forward to seeing you at our next Spring concerts:

The NOVA Alexandria Band’s Children’s Concert on March 1st at 7:30pm.

The NOVA Community Chorus Concert, March 20th at 7:30

The Jazz4Justice Concert featuring the NOVA Nighthawks Jazz Ensemble, March 22nd

and finally, The NOVA Spring Concert featuring

The NOVA Community Chorus, The NOVA Alexandria Band and The NOVA Nighthawks Jazz Ensemble, Friday April 27th from 7:30-9:30pm.

See you there!

Blog post by Britt Conley: Assistant to the Music Department

Concerts, Jazz

NOVA JAZZ Ensembles performed at The Carlyle Club!

November 1, 2017 bconley

What a GREAT gig! The NOVA ensembles performed at the famed, Carlyle Club in Old Town Alexandria on October 30th, 2017.

7th Annual NOVA Jazz Night at The Carlyle Club. Photo by Britt Conley

Our Jazz studies director, John Kocur, kicked off the evening events, directed and informed the audience about the club, songs and upcoming events.

NOVA JAZZ Ensembles at The Carlyle Club! October 30th, 2017. Photo by Britt Conley

The Nighthawks Jazz Band worked it! Playing out at the club is really a wonderful opportunity for our students.

While everyone performed, dancers spun about the floor…

NOVA JAZZ Ensembles at The Carlyle Club! Photo By Britt Conley

There were even dance classes for those who wanted to learn some new swing moves! NOVA’s ballroom dance instructor Alan Golombek took the time to teach anyone who was interested. It turned out there were a lot of interested people!