It was a Thursday night, and all of the coolest cats in town were in Brown Auditorium for a concert by the ULM Jazz Ensemble.

The event was hosted by the ULM Visual and Performing Arts program and featured the ULM Jazz Ensemble, which is made up of ULM students and was directed by Larry Anderson.  The biggest attraction of the night, however, was a special appearance by saxophone master Steve Wilkerson.

Wilkerson, a virtuoso of both saxophone and clarinet, has played with a large variety of musicians, including artists such as Barbra Streisand, the Temptations, Tony Bennett, Glenn Campbell and Barry Manilow.  Throughout the night, Wilkerson showed off his skills, performing with both saxophone and clarinet, and wowed the crowd all night.

“Steve Wilkerson was fantastic,” said, Ashley Hines, a freshman kinesiology major.  “[My favorite part was] when Steve Wilkerson and the drummer had a solo going back and forth.”

While Wilkerson played the saxophone and clarinet superbly throughout the night, perhaps one of the most impressive parts of the evening was the skill and sharpness of the Jazz Ensemble themselves.  Even Wilkerson himself praised the band, saying that he had been to many colleges and the ULM Jazz Ensemble was one of the best he had played with.

The band showed off their skills, playing a variety of Jazz compositions ranging from booming Big Band, to some New Orleans Dixieland jazz and even some modern “cool jazz” pieces.  The Ensemble also showcased their individual skills, playing impressive solos on the piano, bass, guitar, drums, saxophone and trumpet.

After the show, the ensemble received a standing ovation from the audience.  Matthew Dye, freshman finance and accounting major, said he really enjoyed the show.

“The Jazz Ensemble was probably the best concert I’ve been to this year.  It was very lively,” said Dye.