The UC Santa Barbara Jazz Ensemble will present an evening of exhilarating big band music honoring two of the most influential modern jazz composers and arrangers, Jim McNeely and Bill Holman, on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. in Lotte Lehmann Concert Hall.

Under the direction of Dr. Jon Nathan, the UCSB Jazz Ensemble will explore the creative range and rhythmic sophistication of McNeely and Holman’s writing—music that has shaped the sound of contemporary large ensemble jazz for decades. The program will feature both composers’ hallmark works, blending driving swing, intricate harmonies, and inventive orchestrations that challenge and inspire musicians and audiences alike.

The concert will also feature a pre-concert performance by the UCSB's Jazz community's top small jazz group, the Matt Perko Sextet, featuring student musicians with UCSB staff member and premier jazz drummer Matt Perko. This exciting group will also perform Jim McNeely's composition"Empty House" during the concert. 

Jim McNeely, a Grammy-winning pianist, composer, and longtime member of the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, is celebrated for his adventurous, color-rich writing. Bill Holman, a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, is revered for his decades of work with the Stan Kenton Orchestra and his uniquely lyrical approach to big band arranging. Both musicians passed away in the last two years, and highlight the diversity of composition and arranging in the jazz genre. 

The concert will also highlight soloists from within the UCSB Jazz Ensemble, including saxophonists Tej Rajyagor, Maile Quinn, and Erik Beahrs, guitarists Jake Runestrand and Will Luton, pianists Ariel Spagnolo, and Megan Etzel, and trombonist Max Knudson, among others, showcasing the department’s commitment to fostering both ensemble precision and individual expression.

$13.25 GENERAL ADMISSION $7 SENIORS, MILITARY, AND NON-UCSB STUDENTS WITH STUDENT ID FREE FOR UCSB STUDENTS WITH STUDENT ID AND CHILDREN UNDER 12