On eve of Mardi Gras, SVSU concert to feature New Orleans music influence

Less than three weeks before Mardi Gras, audiences at Saginaw Valley State University concert will hear New Orleans jazz-inspired music when Kanola Band performs on campus.

 

The group will be performing Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 7:30 p.m. in SVSU's Malcolm Field Theatre for Performing Arts. The concert is free and open to the public.

 

The first part of the band's name — “Ka-” — represents its city of origin, Kalamazoo. The rest of the band's name — "-nola" — references New Orleans, Louisiana, a community known for music associated with Mardi Gras.

 

Knowledgeable in a diverse range of jazz music, Kanola Band engages in styles such as "traditional dixieland," "soulful funk" and "blasting brass band" music.

 

The Feb. 5 program will feature familiar sounds associated with New Orleans including songs such as “Do You Know What It Mean to Miss New Orleans,” “Bourbon St. Parade” and “Tootie Ma.”

 

One of Kanola Band's members, woodwind musician Seth Ebersole, is an SVSU artist in residence.

 

Kanola Band has performed worldwide at venues such as Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola in New York, Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York, Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London, and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

 

The group has recorded and toured with musicians such as Doc Severinsen & His Big Band, Etienne Charles Big Band, Curtis Stigers, The Henry Mancini Institute Jazz Orchestra, Tri-Fi, and Knee Deep Shag.

 

For more information on the concert and SVSU's music program, call (989) 964-4159 or visit www.svsu.edu/music/.