During the Jazz Age of the 1920s, quite a bit of jargon was coined by trendsetters in zoot suits. Terms like “cool,” “hip,” and “crib” are still in use to this day.

In addition to all of this timeless jargon, the Jazz Age also represents a significant era of musical innovation, and it spawned several genres that were centered around jazz – such as swing, bebop, RnB, rock, funk, fusion, and progressive jazz. On Sat. Dec. 9, the Moorpark College Jazz Ensemble is going to pay tribute to the Jazz Age, and play a selection of works that were written during the period.

Brendan McMullin, a Moorpark College music professor, and the music director for the Moorpark College Jazz and Wind Ensembles, said that the jazz ensembles concert will include a “fantastically hip” song by Icelandic musician and recording artist Björk.

“One of the modern tunes we’re playing is an arrangement of a Björk tune, called “Hyper-Ballad,” McMullin said. “It’s fantastically hip!”

The Moorpark College jazz ensembles are set to perform in the upcoming All About Jazz concert on Sat. Dec. 9, at 8 p.m. The Moorpark and Ventura community is invited to take a walk down memory lane while Moorpark College jazz students lead the way from the “A Train” all the way to Pat Metheny.

The repertoire for the gig will include the songs “Mack the Knife,” “The Way You Look Tonight,” “Maple Leaf Rag,” “Chronometry,” “Just the Way You Are,” and “Elektric City.”

The Moorpark College jazz ensemble consists of two separate groups of student musicians; the A-Band, and the B-Band.

McMullin said that the Moorpark College jazz ensembles had been awarded high scores for the past several years, when they compete during the annual Reno Jazz Festival.

“Our A-Band has been getting 1’s there for a while, which is the highest category of score that you can get,” McMullin said. “In fact, our band has won first place in the community college division there, two years in a row!”

McMullin also said that the president of Moorpark College, Luis Sanchez, is going to be making cameo appearances during the concert, and sing several songs.

“We actually have invited in the president of the college, and he is going to sing with us on a couple of tunes at the concert,” McMullin revealed. “So, that’s exciting.”

Casey McAuley, 18, a Moorpark College applied music major, guitarist, and member of the jazz ensemble, said that one of his favorite songs they are performing in the concert is “Elektric City” by Chick Corea.

“I’m really looking forward to Elektric City.” McAuley said. “I think that is going to be a really, really cool tune – it’s pretty funky, and it’s got some rock elements to it too.”

McAuley feels that “Elektric City” blends jazz and rock elements “in a really cool way.”

“I think putting jazz chords in a rock element is a really cool way of tying those two genres together,” McAuley said.

Reed Galloway, 20, a Moorpark College applied music major, guitarist, and member of the A-Band of the jazz ensemble, said that he is looking to performing songs such as “Dream of the Return” by Pat Metheny, and that he is looking forward to watching his counterparts in the B-Band perform.

“The Pat Metheny song – that’s going to be pretty sick,” said Galloway. “And the Moorpark B-Band is really awesome too, so I’m excited to see them as well.”

Galloway feels that if people want to have a good Saturday, they should come down and see the show.

“It’s a Saturday night, right?” said Galloway. “Well, if they want to spend Saturday night the right way, just come and see the jazz show.”

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For more information and tickets to the All About Jazz concert, please visit www.moorparkcollege.edu/PAC, or call the box office at (805) 378-1485.

Here’s a video of the Moorpark College jazz ensemble playing their instruments in the orchestra room on Nov. 1. Moorpark College professor and jazz ensemble music director Brendan McMullin conducts while the students rehearse for the upcoming All About Jazz concert on Sat. Dec. 9.