Erie residents enjoyed a vibrant celebration of Pennsylvania’s jazz legacy on Sunday, Nov. 1, when the Keystone Jazz Orchestra (KJO) opened its five‑city PA250 “Our Jazz Story” tour at Mercyhurst University’s Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center. The concert, presented by the PA Jazz Alliance, Pennsylvania Creative Industries, the National Endowment for the Arts and Mercyhurst’s School of the Arts, highlighted the Commonwealth’s pivotal role in the evolution of jazz from its New Orleans roots to modern fusion.
Tour kickoff and program
Directed by Maestro Marko Marcinko, the 20‑musician ensemble performed a sweeping repertoire that traced early jazz, swing, bebop, post‑bop and contemporary styles. The program featured Pennsylvania‑born legends such as John Coltrane, Billie Holiday, the Dorsey brothers, Art Blakey, George Benson, Nina Simone, Henry Mancini and Benny Golson, underscoring the state’s deep‑rooted contributions to the genre.
State representatives and senators joined KJO onstage to provide historical narration, accompanied by projected images that illustrated the genre’s journey up the Mississippi River and into Pennsylvania’s towns and cities. The narration reinforced the mission of America250PA to educate, preserve and celebrate Pennsylvania history.
Ensemble lineup
The orchestra’s roster includes saxophonists Nelson Hill, Chris Oatts, Chris Farr and Jason Kush; trumpeters Eddie Severn, Duane Eubanks, Ed Jakuboski and Marcell Bellinger; trombonists Bill Smith, Kevin McManus, Stafford Hunter and Mark Lusk; pianist Steve Rudolph; bassist Paul Rostock; guitarist Marty Ashby; vocalist Amy Banks; and Artistic Director Marko Marcinko on drums.
Upcoming tour dates
After the Erie opening, the PA250 tour will travel to four additional Pennsylvania venues:
- Nov. 5 – Lower Moreland High School, Huntingdon Valley
- Nov. 6 – Misericordia University, Dallas
- Nov. 9 – Hershey High School, Hershey
- Nov. 17 – Manchester Craftsman’s Guild, Pittsburgh
Each stop will feature the same blend of live performance, historical narration and visual storytelling, offering audiences across the Commonwealth a chance to experience the state’s jazz heritage.
Tickets and support
Tickets are priced at $30 for adults, $25 for senior citizens, $20 for non‑Mercyhurst students and free for Mercyhurst students, with a $2.50 processing fee applied to all purchases. Tickets can be bought online at miac.mercyhurst.edu or at the Box Office in the Performing Arts Center (501 E. 38th Street, Erie). Box Office hours are noon to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday. For questions, call 814‑824‑3000 or email [email protected].
The concert series is made possible through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts, Pennsylvania Creative Industries, Erie Insurance, Country Fair, PA Jazz Alliance, Romolo Chocolates, Mercyhurst University School of the Arts, Jodi S. Hopper, Dean, and The D’Angelo School of Music Roche Guest Artists Series.
For more information about the tour, the Keystone Jazz Orchestra and the PA Jazz Alliance, visit pajazzalliance.com or follow Mercyhurst’s School of the Arts on Instagram @mercyhurstsota.
Original reporting: Mercyhurst University News (Erie) – stopgap — read the source article.
