The Southern Stars Symphonic Brass (SSSB) present their last concert of the 2013-2014 season on Saturday, May 17 at 7 pm at the beautiful 1200-seat Stone Memorial HS auditorium. The concert theme is Classics & Jazz and will include a wide variety of music styles. Business sponsors for the concert are: Bed & Biscuit Kennel (Season sponsor), State Farm Insurance (David Bell, agent), Caring Touch Therapeutic Massage, and Guest Artist sponsors – Flynn Sign Company, and the City of Crossville.

Special guest artist for this concert will be a 13-year-old trumpet phenom, Geoff Gallante, who hails from Washington, D.C., and has developed a national recognition for his highly advanced technical and musical skills. Geoff has already performed on the Jay Leno show, CBS and NBC national morning news programs, at the White House (and is still the youngest entertainer to perform there), the Lincoln Center, and with military bands and concert bands in 43 states. Geoff has many YouTube videos you can watch showing him performing a variety of styles from sacred, classical, popular, and jazz.

For this concert, Geoff with be playing four selections with the SSSB in accompaniment: “La Virgin de la Macarena,” a fiery Latin piece, “The Debutante,” a classic trumpet selection, “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans,” a cornet trio, and “Our Love is Here to Stay,” a flugelhorn jazz improvisation solo. Trumpet fans in particular will surely want to come hear Geoff, as he as been compared to a young Doc Severinsen or Wynton Marsalis, and will be a certain entertainment star of the future. His technical skills are unique, but it is his improvisation techique that will also amaze with its maturity beyond his years.

The Southern Stars Symphonic Brass Band is a 30-musician ensemble of 27 brass musicians and three percussionists under the direction of Dr. Steven Sudduth, Director of Bands at Cumberland University in Williamsburg, KY. The musicians are top players from the areas of Nashville, Murfreesboro, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Cookeville and Crossville. They perform a wide variety of music at each concert and to follow the theme of Classic and Jazz, they will be playing the following pieces: “Entry of the Gladiators,” “American Patrol,” “Pittsburgh Overture,” “It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing,” “Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair,” a euphonium solo, the “Typewriter,” “A Russian Fantasy,” “Music of the Night” from Phantom of the Opera, “1st Suite for Band” by Holst, and “Saints Go Marching In.”

Dwight Wages, founder and Artistic Director of the Southern Stars, says, “Our final concert of the season has for the past three years brought in national talent as our guest artists. We had Buddy Greene and Jeff Taylor in 2012, and Pete Huttlinger in 2013—recording artists from Nashville—and now Geoff Gallante, who also has 2 CDs to his credit.”

“While it is a significant expense to provide artists of their stature, we do this with expectations that we will receive larger audiences who appreciate the risk we have taken to bring such unique performers to the Crossville area,” Wages says. “It is my sincere hope that people who may not have heard the Southern Stars before, take this opportunity to hear this outstanding group and to see young Geoff Gallante in action.”

Tickets for the concert are priced at $20 for Adults, and $5 for Students. Tickets may be purchased in advance at Cumberland Eye Care (Dr. Galloway) in Fairfield Glade, First National Bank of TN branches in Fairfield Glade and Crossville, Cumberland County Playhouse box office and website, and Bed & Biscuit Kennel (off Peavine Road). Group tickets of 10 or more can be purchased for $17 ($3 discount) only from Dwight Wages by calling 931-484-6939.