Southern Miss Jazz Ensembles to Perform March 31 in the Intermezzo

Mon, 03/23/2026 - 09:11am | By: Mike Lopinto

The Jazz Lab Band 2 and the Southern Miss Jazztet will present a concert March 31 at 7:30 p.m. in the Intermezzo@Woods Gallery at the School of Music on The University of Southern Mississippi’s Hattiesburg campus. The joint concert is free and open to the public.

In a busy year for the jazz program, Lab Band 2 has been working to learn a wide range of new music. Under the direction of Tim Crump, graduate assistant to the Jazz Studies program, the concert is scheduled to include Bobby Timmons’ “Dat Dere,” Duke Ellington’s “Things Ain’t What They Used to Be” and “Blackbird” by The Beatles, along with other pieces.

"Tim brings a very positive energy to directing this band and the students are stepping up and readying themselves to show off for the audience," said Jazz Studies Director Larry Panella.

Joining them for the concert is the award-winning Southern Miss Jazztet, which will perform new pieces composed by band members of this year’s group.

"The Jazztet is the longest-running combo in the program, having been started by students in 1999, and it has run continuously since then,” Panella continued. “Over the years the composing of original pieces and arrangements of great repertoire have been a hallmark of the group, and this year is no exception.”

Learn more about jazz studies at the School of Music.

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About the School of Music

The School of Music at The University of Southern Mississippi is the state’s flagship music program and a destination campus for the study of music across the region, the United States and the world. Housed within the College of Arts and Sciences, the school offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees and has earned a national and international reputation for excellence. Its distinguished faculty members are active performers and educators who appear on stages from local communities to major international venues. The School of Music is home to acclaimed band, choral, orchestral, jazz, opera and musical theater ensembles and provides extensive solo and chamber music performance opportunities. Students regularly perform at regional, national and international events and work with leading guest artists in preparation for careers as 21st century performers and educators.