On the culminating night of Cityfolk's upcoming weeklong celebration of Billy Strayhorn (April 18), two bands will be delivering his music. Terell Stafford, who has worked extensively at the arts magnet, will lead his quintet and the Stivers School for the Arts Jazz Orchestra will offer a big band perspective on the Dayton-born composer's rich musical palette. Thanks to Strayhorn's niece Alyce Claerbaut and Strayhorn Songs, Inc., the band has in their hands a set of complete scores brought to light over the past decade by musicologist Walter Van de Leur. In addition to better known works such as Isfahan from the celebrated Far East Suite, concertgoers will be able to hear some of the music that has been retrieved by Van de Leur and performed on record by the Dutch Jazz Orchestra.At this point this music has rarely been performed outside of Holland, let alone by a high school band. But, as many here know, this is no ordinary high school jazz ensemble. Two-time winners of the Berklee School of Music high school competition, the Stivers Jazz Orchestra, under the direction of Claude Lucien Thomas, regularly tackles challenging music by the likes of Maria Schneider, Oliver Nelson and others. Combined with other Ellington/Strayhorn music that has been provided by the Temple University jazz program (headed by Stafford) by way of Jazz at Lincoln Center, this repertoire will give them another unique opportunity to shine.
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