Arlington jazz band students take to the stage during concert

ARLINGTON — Students in the Arlington High School and Haller and Post middle school jazz bands recently presented their annual concert.

"Jazz Nite," which took place Jan. 14, was held at the Byrnes Performing Arts Center and featured a number of performances.

The high school's Jazz II group, directed by John Grabowski, began the evening with a rendition of Mancini's "The Pink Panther" and "Vine Street Rumble" by Benny Carter.

Following that performance, the middle school bands took over with versions of modern classics. Haller's jazz band performed "Ben's Blues" by Carl Strommen, "Steppin' Out" by Carl Strommen and "Free Bird" by Allen Collins and Ronnie Van Zandt (arranged by Paul Murtha).

Post's Jazz Doctors played "Minnie the Moocher" by Cab Calloway (arranged by Ralph Ford), "Groovin' Hard" by Don Menza (arranged by Peter Blair) and "Thriller" by Rod Temperton (arranged by Paul Murtha).

The Haller group is led by Joe Horsak, while the Post Jazz Doctors are directed by Kipp Otterness.

Arlington High School's group, called On Hold, then performed. It opened with "The Opener" by Bill Holman, followed by "Caravan" by Juan Tizol, Duke Ellington and Irving Mills; "The Eighth Veil" by Ellington and Billy Strayhorn; "Lady Mac" by Ellington and Strayhorn; "Rhapsody in Blue" by Mancini (arranged by Strayhorn); "Fun Time" by Nestico; and concluded with "Wind Machine" by Nestico.

On Hold auditions are held each May and June for openings in the group the following school year, according to a release. Classes are held each school day at 7 a.m.

Jazz II members meet once per week on Tuesday evenings.

The next school jazz concert, titled "Swing into Spring," will take place in May in the high school commons.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.