This is the group's 25th reunion year and Lee Southall (West Chester '64), who founded the alumni ensemble and plays trombone, hasn't missed a reunion yet, although this year, he'll hand the director's baton to Bob Curnow (West Chester '63 and ex-trombonist and arranger for Stan Kenton).
The Criterions student band has been active on campus since the 1920's, when it was established as a dance band. It is the longest- running jazz band of its kind and “Crites" alumni continue their legacy with brilliant musicianship, playing with the likes of the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Woody Herman Orchestra and the U.S. Army Blues Jazz Ensemble. Several generations of performers, including alumni from as far back as the 1940s and '50s, annually take part in this celebration of musical camaraderie.
The free concert will be held in Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall in Philips Memorial Building at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 15. Rehearsals in Asplundh on Wednesday are also open to the public from 10 a.m. to noon and 2 to 4:30 p.m.
West Chester University of Pennsylvania, West Chester, PA 19383 610-436-1000
