Southern Miss Groups Present Jingle Bell Jazz at Thirsty Hippo on Dec. 6

This holiday season, The University of Southern Mississippi's top jazz performers will take their popular Jingle Bell Jazz concert on the road. And their first stop will be to deck the halls of the Thirsty Hippo in downtown Hattiesburg on Thursday, Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. 

This festive evening also celebrates their holiday trip to perform at the Jazz Education Network Conference in Atlanta in January. There is a $5 cover donation to help defray the costs of travel to this prestigious conference and other donations are appreciated.

The program will include both the Southern Miss Jazztet and the Jazz Lab Band 1 playing a mix of their repertoire and holiday favorites, including a New Orleans flavored Second Line version of “The Little Drummer Boy!” The evening will feature great renditions of holiday classics for both groups. 

“Thanks to Brad Newton at the Thirsty Hippo, Jingle Bell Jazz is back,” said Larry Panella, director of jazz studies at Southern Miss. “We can perform in a setting where we are closer to the crowd and they can sit back and enjoy our music.”

The Hippo will be bursting at the seams with a 20-piece big band. The jazztet will change things up a bit and showcase their own special brand of holiday spirit.

"This is (literally) the biggest band we've ever had at the Hippo and we're really excited to have them,” said Thirsty Hoppo proprietor, Brad Newton. “We have many different types of groups who perform here and this band is in keeping with our desire to offer the best music around.”

For more information about the Jazztet and Jazz Lab Band or to donate to the groups' holiday efforts, call 601.266.5543 or visit: http://www.usm.edu/music/contact-us-departments