Pruis Hall will be hopping this weekend with the swinging sounds of two concerts that will provide a chance to experience varieties of jazz.
Two groups will liven up Pruis Hall with their unique styles of music. Jazz Maniacs will perform Friday at 7:30 p.m. and the Curtis Stigers concert will be Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
General admission tickets are on sale at the box office and will also be sold at the door. Adult tickets cost $15 for Jazz Maniacs and $19 for Curtis Stigers, but students pay $5 for each event. If students purchase tickets to both shows at once it costs a total of $7.50.
Jazz Maniacs will open Friday with a concert that will be less structured than many other concerts, Darcy Wood, Emens associate marketing director, said.
"It's really a unique show in that it's not rehearsed," she said. "They just get together and jam. It's great for somebody who doesn't know jazz too well."
Jazz maniacs does not perform with the same members every time. The professional musicians, who are from all around the Midwest, do not rehearse together, but go out on the stage and improvise an entire show.
"Since it's going to be improvised it's never the same experience," Bob Myers, director of Emens and event coordinator, said. "I don't know what to expect. That's a lot of the intrigue."
The performance of Jazz Maniacs will be co-led by Everett Greene, a 78-year-old singer, and Mel Rhyne, a 70-year-old soul/bob specialist, who has played with chart topping artists such as T-Bone Walker and B.B. King.
Curtis Stigers' performance on Saturday night will offer a more structured concert, Wood said.
"I've seen him at showcases before," Myers said. "I really like his vibe."
Stigers is a singer and songwriter, as well as a saxophonist. He is a nationally recorded artist and has toured with musicians such as Elton JOhn and Eric Clapton, Wood said.
"He has a unique sound, but he also plays a lot of music that people will be able to recognize," Myer said.
Along with writing his own music, Wood said, Stigers also performs songs from other artists such as John Lennon, Bob Dylan and Billy Joel.
Ball State is pushing to use Pruis Hall as a venue where students can experience arts they wouldn't normally be exposed to, Myers said. Chris Brubeck's Triple Play, Time for Three and Late Nite Catechism are some of the musical and comedic events performing later this year.
"We're trying to use this venue more," Wood said. "This is an outlet for students to gain knowledge about the arts, including jazz."
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