The Gertrude C. Ford Center came alive with brass and bombastic rhythms as the University of Mississippi jazz ensembles, The Collegians and The Mississippians, took the stage on Nov. 8 for an evening that paid tribute to one of the university’s oldest and proudest musical traditions.
What began in the late 1890s as a group of students performing dance music has evolved into two of the most dynamic collegiate jazz bands in the South.
The night opened with The Collegians Jazz Ensemble, directed by Instructional Assistant Professor of Music Mel Morse, who led the group through a diverse setlist that balanced humor, groove and technical precision.
Titles like “Does This Chart Make Me Look Phat” by Gordon Goodwin set a playful tone, while “Feeling Good,” arranged by Roger Holmes, brought out a soulful blend of brass and rhythm that filled the auditorium with warmth.
Following a brief intermission, The Mississippians Jazz Ensemble took the stage under the direction of Professor of Music Michael Worthy. Known as one of the nation’s oldest collegiate jazz ensembles, The
Mississippians carried a century-old legacy with effortless cool.
The Mississippians’ performance paid homage to its extensive history while showcasing the creative spark of its current members. Tight horn sections, fluid bass lines, and high-energy solos gave the second half of the concert an electric, almost celebratory tone.
Morse shared that his approach to programming each concert comes through “a couple of filters.”
“I pick tunes based on what the students can do and do well, and I also think about the audience, a lot of people come to these concerts as students taking it in for class credit,” Morse said. “I want to expose them to a different kind of music and hope they enjoy it.”
Beyond accessibility, Morse emphasized that each tune is chosen for its educational purpose.
“Each style — swing, funk, rock — has its own concepts and skills that need to be addressed to play them properly,” Morse said.
The musicians, hailing from across Mississippi and beyond, displayed impressive synergy, especially within the rhythm section, where tight percussion and crisp guitar lines drove each piece forward.
Junior chemistry major and trombonist Nathaniel Carlson described the group dynamic as “a relaxed environment while still maintaining standards.”
“It feels fun yet still high-performance, exactly what you’d want it to be,” Carlson said.
Pieces like “Get It On” and “Get In Line” showcased the ensemble’s command of modern big-band style, with bold trumpet solos and saxophones weaving together the luscious harmonies.
“You’ve got to work together in listening and matching,” Carlson said of performing in a large ensemble. “You hear someone playing a different way, you either talk to them about ironing it out or switch over yourself. Balance is the name of the game.”
Morse said one of his main goals this semester was ensuring that “students enjoyed the process of learning and preparing for a polished concert performance,” while also “learning new skills such as improv and playing solos that will benefit them in the future as they become more well-rounded musicians.”
For Morse, the most rewarding part of directing The Collegians is seeing that progress unfold.
“The best part is seeing the amount of growth from the first time they read through the music to the quality of sound they get at the concert, and seeing how proud they are of themselves for playing music that pushed them to get better,” Morse said.
The concert closed on an upbeat note, leaving the audience with the sense that this was not just a performance, but a continuation of something larger: the sound of the university’s jazz, still swinging strong more than 100 years later.
