BROOKINGS – The full house at the Big Bad Voodoo Daddy concert heard the news first. Woodbine Productions will host “Big Band Holidays” featuring the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8.  

The concert will be held in the Larson Memorial Concert Hall. Tickets are $28, $38 and $48 and went on sale electronically at 10 p.m. Tuesday evening through www.woodbineproductions.com. Tickets can still be purchased online or through the SDSU School of Performing Arts by calling 688-5187. 

Until now, South Dakota was the only state in the nation where the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra had not yet performed – dubious honor when you realize that the JLCO and managing and artistic director Marsalis have toured in more than 446 cities in 41 countries on five continents. 

The “Big Band Holidays” tour features soulful, big band versions of classics like “Jingle Bells,” “Joy to the World” and “Brazilian Sleigh Ride.” It’s an uplifting holiday program that plays to sold-out audiences around the country every December.

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, comprising 15 of the finest jazz soloists and ensemble players today, has been the Jazz at Lincoln Center resident orchestra since 1988. Featured in all aspects of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s programming, this versatile orchestra performs and leads educational events in New York, across the U.S. and around the globe; in concert halls; dance venues; jazz clubs; public parks; and with symphony orchestras; ballet troupes; local students; and an ever-expanding roster of guest artists. 

Under the direction of Marsalis, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra performs a vast repertoire, from rare historic compositions to Jazz at Lincoln Center-commissioned works, including compositions and arrangements by Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Fletcher Henderson, Thelonious Monk, Mary Lou Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman, Charles Mingus, and many others. 

“Throughout history, jazz musicians have inspired and have been inspired by many art forms to create new works and express cultural statements. For 30 years, Jazz at Lincoln Center has continued that tradition through our programs. Today, we remain committed to jazz which reveals the best of American culture with its virtuosity, diversity, soulfulness and an embracing spirit under all circumstances,” Marsalis said.

“Every performance presented by Woodbine Productions includes a unique engagement with the artists and selected students of the School of Performing Arts,” explains David Reynolds, director of the school.  “We are exceptionally fortunate to offer our students these rare opportunities while they are undergraduates, to have a clinic with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra will truly be life changing for our students and those in the region. It shows SDSU and Brookings as a destination.”

Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Lynn Sargeant agrees.

“This an extraordinary opportunity to welcome to the community one of the greatest ensembles, comprised of exceptional musicians not only to offer a public concert, but outreach to our students and potential students through a clinic … which includes Wynton Marsalis, who is inarguably the master of the trumpet,” Sargeant said. 

Woodbine Productions is a partnership between the SDSU Foundation and the SDSU School of Performing Arts with all performances offered at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center. Since 2007, Woodbine Productions has brought the highest level of performers to Brookings, and all expenses have been paid by an anonymous benefactor.  

Tickets purchased for the performances become scholarships for students in the SDSU School of Performing Arts. All seats are reserved and are currently available at www.woodbineproductions.com. Questions and ticket orders may also be directed to the South Dakota State University School of Performing Arts at 688-5187.