A large Texarkana College audience thrilled to the swing music of the TC Stage Band under the direction of Dr. Tom Jenkins, chairman of the music department, on November 22. The stage band has made numerous appearances at high schools throughout this area.
The first number was a ballad called “Pathways”; next was an arrangement for Stan Kenton titled “Jump for Joy”; “Tenderly”, made popular during the Second World War, came next; the fourth selection was “This Will Be My Shining Hour”, which featured Bill Carr on tenor sax and John Fooks on trombone. John Hickman was featured as head alto sax in the arrangement “Alto Soliloquy”. “Autumn Leaves” was worked up into a special rendition, and the students left the auditorium to the tune of ‘Blue Blues’.
After introduction of the band members, Dr. Jenkins expressed his gratitude to the audience for the wonderful cooperation and devoted interest of the entire stage band and thanked George Kyer, director of the College Chorus, for “filling in” on the bass fiddle. Jenkins himself accompanied the band on several arrangements.
“Jazz in America used to be regarded as garbage,” stated Jenkins, “but today this is definitely not the case.” He said the era of fur coats and deep freezes, the John Birch Society, and extreme-viewed people are responsible for the development of jazz. He further mentioned that the American people have finally awakened to the fact that jazz is as American as the hot dog. Finally, Dr. Jenkins expressed his desire that students will be able to understand jazz intelligently.