Imagine this: A group of individuals from different ages and walks of life come together to play some of the most beautiful pieces in jazz music for an audience as unique as the performers themselves.
The Starlight Jazz Orchestra celebrated its 78th session of free concerts, kicking off the first of their eight summer concerts at Guthrie Green on June 4.
The orchestra masterfully performed songs by influential musician and arranger Benny Carter, along with works by Billy Byers, Carl Saunders, Horace Silver, Thad Jones, and many more. The program included 11 selections played by the Starlight Jazz Orchestra.
On the podium, Rich Fisher, jazz director for Starlight concerts and conductor of the Starlight Jazz Orchestra, led the orchestra in an astonishing concert celebrating live music.
Before the concert officially began, the orchestra practiced, playing familiar tunes intermittently. The audience, a vibrant mix of different ages and families, sat on the grass with blankets, baskets of snacks, and drinks, enjoying the perfect weather.
The atmosphere at Guthrie Green exuded a sense of wholesomeness and gratitude toward the music. Two food trucks, Josh’s Sno Shack and Ruth’s Chicken, were present adding to the festive vibe. Many families and kids at the concert were holding slushies and snow cones, further enhancing that summer feel.
The concert began with the national anthem, performed in the unique rhythm of the orchestra. This was followed by a beautiful opening piece “Boomerang” by Billy Byers, which gave the audience a lively introduction to the next piece, “Little Karin” by Benny Golson.
The night breeze enhanced the experience, especially when the orchestra played Quincy Jones’ “The Midnight Sun Will Never Set.” As the sky changed colors and the stage lights shifted to a light blue, it perfectly highlighted the beauty of live music and its heartfelt messages.
The Starlight Band is not only one of Oklahoma’s oldest performing institutions but also Oklahoma’s only professional concert band, and it proudly ranks among the oldest in the nation. Despite meeting only a few times to practice for the concerts, the orchestra members consistently coordinate perfectly, delivering their pieces in a remarkable manner.
Toward the end of the concert, the program dedicated a song, “To You” by Thad Jones, to the orchestra’s late friend and band member Russell Grant, who was also a very close friend of the conductor Rich Fisher. This heartfelt tribute honored the former drummer with deep emotion.
“You don’t get that many opportunities anymore, so anytime you have the chance to play in a 16-piece band, it’s special. I think they are all excited about how it went because they all love playing, and that is beautiful,” stated Fisher, the conductor of the orchestra, during my interview with him.
He praised the band members not just for their hard work in the Starlight Band, but also for their individual gigs and their dedication to music.
Additional music performed by the orchestra included the following:
| Benny Golson | “Little Karin” |
| Carl Saunder | “Never-Always |
| Quincy Jones | “The Midnight Sun Will Never Set” |
| Benny Carter | “Doozy”, “The Swizzle”, and “Miss Missouri” |
| Horace Silver | “The Jody Grind” |
| Thad Jones | “To You” and “Don’t Min-Us” |
| Benny Golson | “Killer Joe” |
For more information about the Starlight Jazz Orchestra, visit https://www.starlightconcerts.org/ and for the Guthrie Green concert schedule, see https://www.guthriegreen.com/
Starlight Band The Starlight Band consists of 50 members from the concert band and 20 from the Jazz Orchestra. Originating as a revival of Depression-era Works Progress Administration (WPA) concerts, the Starlight Band debuted with their first performance on flatbed trucks at the Tulsa State Fairgrounds. They later relocated to Skelly Stadium on the University of Tulsa campus. In the 1980s, the band moved again, this time to Arkansas River West Festival Park, before eventually settling in their current venue, Guthrie Green.
The Starlight concert series is performed during the summer. The remaining summer performances are the following:
| Date and Time | Starlight Band | Location |
| July 16, 2024, 8 p.m. | Starlight Jazz Orchestra | Guthrie Green Stage, 111 Reconciliation Way, Tulsa, OK 74103 |
For more information, visit https://www.starlightconcerts.org/