Green Jazz Series presents encore performance

The ASU Jazz Combos are returning to the Herberger Theater for a special encore performance and a free night of music.

The ASU Jazz Combos will headline the next Green Jazz Series concert, which takes place 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 15 at the Herberger Theater, 222 E. Monroe St., Phoenix. Admission is free.

The series is sponsored by Arizona State University Online and the Herberger Theater Center. 

“We are offering this concert free of charge to encourage greater participation by members of the community and ASU students or whom the cost of a ticket is significant,” said Mernoy E. Harrison, Jr., ASU Online and Extended Campus vice president and executive vice provost. “It might also spark a lifelong interest in jazz music to those who attend.”

Proceeds from the concert series will support the Green Survival Initiative (GSI), a Phoenix-based sustainability project. Through the use of cost-effective green technologies such as compact fluorescent lights, low-flow shower heads and water heater blankets, GSI seeks to mitigate increasing energy costs for approximately 1,000 low- and fixed-income households in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

The initiative will help low-income families make the conversion to a sustainable lifestyle.

“The GSI recognizes that there is a cost to convert to a green lifestyle and those who need it the most might not be able to make that conversion,” said George Brooks, publisher of Southwest Green Magazine, who is an event sponsor. “We believe that once these conversions are made, each household could save anywhere from $300 to $500 annually.”

A green business networking opportunity that includes informational booths and promotional giveaways starts at 5:30 p.m. and will precede the 7 p.m. concert. For more information or to reserve a booth, call (602) 363-1677 e-mail Publisher@sw-green.com.

The ASU Jazz Combos headlined the series on Nov. 11, 2008 and were brought back for an encore performance.  The ensemble takes their audiences through the history of improvised music from New Orleans to 52nd Street and beyond. These primarily acoustic groups range in size from four to seven. Their small size allows audiences to see the magic of jazz improvisation in action as individual players stretch out and tell their musical story. The jazz ensembles perform frequently on campus, as well as making numerous off-campus appearances in clubs and resorts around the Valley. Michael Kocour, an associate professor and Director of Jazz Studies at Arizona State University, heads up the student-led ensembles. He’s not shy when it comes to their abilities. 

“If you haven’t been to an ASU Combo concert, you don¹t know what you’re missing,” Kocour said. “Check out the jazz stars of tomorrow on April 15 at the Herberger Theater.”

The Green Jazz Series was conceived and produced by Phoenix-based Brotha Love Productions.