The jazz program at Southeast Missouri State University is comprised of two big bands that perform on and off campus each semester, bringing an American art form to the community of Cape Girardeau.

Dr. Robert Conger has been the jazz program director for nine years. He directs the Studio Jazz ensemble and the Jazz Lab Band and formed the Jazz Sultans ensemble in 2006.

Conger said that Studio Jazz is the premier, top ensemble in the program. Students audition the first week of classes in the fall, and Conger assigns chair rankings anonymously so that seniority in the program does not affect his decision.

Students in this band are expected to come in with previous experience in a jazz program.

The Jazz Lab Band is open to anyone who wants to play jazz and improve his or her skills. Each of the big bands have 19 members.

The Jazz Sultans is a group of classically trained musicians who perform bebop jazz, often at Buckner Brewery in downtown Cape Girardeau. The Southeast faculty in the combo are Conger on trombone, collaborative pianist Matt Yount on piano and music professor Jay Contrino on drums. Also in the combo are Southeast alumnus Sam Godwin on bass and Mineral Area Community College professor Michael Goldsmith on tenor saxophone.

All three groups perform at Buckner throughout the semester, and Studio Jazz and the Jazz Lab Band performed their first concert of the year, "Meet the Band" on Oct. 26 at the Donald C. Bedell Performance Hall.

"This particular concert [had] no guest artist because I've got some great band members who can solo, and I wanna try to feature them," Conger said. "Thats why we call it 'Meet the Band.'"

Southeast student Kyle Clay, who is in his second year at Southeast, is in Studio Jazz and plays bass in the Southeast Jazz ensemble, which is a select group who performed at "Meet the Band."

Clay became a mortician, but decided to get a music education degree.

"Conger knows what he's doing, and Southeast has always has a pretty good jazz program, so I was pretty excited to be a part of that," Clay said.

Clay said that he listened to a lot of music growing up, was involved in music programs in high school and that music is much more fun than his previous occupation.

"I just thought I'd take a break and try something else ... performing music was definitely what I needed to be doing," Clay said.

Southeast music education major Tim Hanak said that the jazz program at Southeast equates to the other programs at the River Campus such as theatre and orchestra in what they do.

"I definitely think that there is a lot of talent in the jazz program for sure," Hanak said.

Conger, who has taught at Fort Hays State University, Miami University and in public schools in Florida, South Carolina and Texas, said, "The quality level of especially the top ensembles would compare favorably with any jazz band from the state, from any university. Compared to other ensembles on campus, we compare very favorably. I've had people tell me after concerts, 'This is my favorite concert to come to all semester long.'"

The next performance at Buckner Brewery will be on Nov. 30, and the Jazz Sultans will perform the following night on Dec. 1.

"Usually we have a huge crowd down there at Buckner's, and I'm sure this Friday will be no exception. We're gonna play Christmas tunes and that sort of stuff," Conger said.

Conger said he thinks the community should hear the jazz performances because of the importance of it in American music.

"Jazz is an American art form," Conger said. "Out of all the kinds of music that you hear around this place, the art form of jazz was developed in America by Americans, some of African descent, but still it happened in America. Were there roots in other cultures, yes, sure, but It's an American art form that really flourishing ... We're trying to develop that in Cape Girardeau because this is on the Mississippi River from New Orleans to Chicago and jazz did spread this way, so we really are part of the heritage of jazz along the Mississippi."