Howard Payne University’s School of Education and Fine Arts will present its Spring Jazz Ensemble Concert on Sunday, April 12 at 3 p.m. The concert will be held in Mims Auditorium and is free and open to the public.

The theme of the concert is Texas Jazz. The program will begin with a Latin jazz arrangement of “The Eyes of Texas” by Rick Lawn, former director of Jazz Studies at The University of Texas. 

Latin American rhythms and especially those of northern Mexico have been an important part of jazz in Texas. In honor of the Tejano heritage, the concert will present two other Latin Jazz selections: “Gato Rayado” is a bembe Latin rhythm. “Un Calor Seco” (A Dry Heat) is a mambo. Blues, which originated in Texas, will be featured in the dry humor of “Do You Know Who You Spoke With?” From the Great American Songbook, the band will play “Autumn Leaves.”

Senior pianist Victoriano Cooper will be featured on Benny Golson’s Jazz classic “Whisper Not.”