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Pepperdine Jazz Ensemble Performs Concert

The Pepperdine Fine Arts Division will present a jazz ensemble performance on Monday, Apr. 16, at 7:30 p.m. in Smothers Theatre, Malibu. The free performance will be conducted by jazz ensemble program director Brian Scanlon.

The Pepperdine Jazz Ensemble is composed of students and faculty from many different disciplines around the campus who have a passion for and love of performing and learning about the music genre. It provides students with an opportunity to play the music of the swing era to the music of the big bands of today. Led by Scanlon, the band performs popular concerts both on and off campus throughout the year, giving students an opportunity to develop skills essential for performance in the music world today.

Scanlon has been an active member of the Los Angeles music scene since 1987. As a saxophonist and woodwind doubler he has made his mark in the studio, on the concert stage, and in nightclubs. He started playing the saxophone with Ramon Ricker at the prestigious Eastman School of Music where he earned both a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music (1981 and 1983).

Scanlon's career highlights include touring with song and dance man Ben Vereen and regular appearances on the Tonight Show as a member of the NBC Orchestra from 1988 to 1992. He also toured with trumpeter Doc Severinsen from 1988 to 1996 and briefly played lead alto with Buddy Rich in 1986.

He can be heard on several soundtrack recordings such as Monster's Inc., A Bug's Life, Moulin Rouge, and Analyze This, and has recorded with Randy Newman and Rosemary Clooney. He has also performed with Tony Bennett, Dizzy Gillespie, B.B. King, and the LA Philharmonic.

For more information, contact the Center for the Arts at (310) 506-4055, or visit the Center for the Arts Web site.