The Georgia State University Jazz Band, directed by Dr. Gordon Vernick, plays the Rialto Center for the Arts with special guest trumpeter Sean Jones.
The GSU Jazz Band is playing the Rialto Center for the Arts on Friday, April 9, 2027, from 8 PM to 10 PM. It's a student ensemble directed by Dr. Gordon Vernick, and they've built a reputation for energetic performances that balance technical skill with creative expression. Their repertoire runs the full length of the jazz tradition, from swing and bebop to fusion, so the set should pull from a few different eras of the music.
Sharing the stage is trumpeter, composer, educator, and bandleader Sean Jones, one of the most celebrated voices in jazz today. His career includes work with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, the SFJAZZ Collective, and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, so he's coming in with a deep pedigree. The evening also honors the legacy of Johnny Mercer, the Savannah-born lyricist and composer who contributed countless standards to the Great American Songbook through collaborations with many of the twentieth century's leading musicians. Between the student band, the guest trumpet, and the Mercer connection, there's a good bit of ground to cover in two hours.
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The concert is part of the GSU School of Music Scholarship Series, and the proceeds go toward student scholarships. It's held at the Rialto, 80 Forsyth Street NW in downtown Atlanta. Tickets are tiered: President's Box (Green) is $36, Price Level 1 (Blue) and Price Level 2 (Red) are both $24, and Price Level 3 (Yellow) is $17, with a $5 GSU student rate for that last one. The show runs from 8 PM to 10 PM.
