In this episode of 'Exposition', we speak with Alex Davidson, the bassist for the Southeast Missouri State University Jazz band, performing in the 2025 Fall Jazz Concert: West Side Story on Oct. 21st at 7:30 p.m. in the Bedell Performance Hall at the SEMO River Campus.
Alex Davidson is a junior music education major who plays the double bass in the jazz studio band and tuba in other ensembles at the university.
Alex notes that the Fall Jazz Concert: West Side Story is a themed concert centered around the popular movie and musical West Side Story, and the Jazz Studio Band and Jazz Lab Band will be performing a selection of songs from the production. Alex expressed his excitement that the ensemble will be costumed for the performance, rather than the standard concert attire.
Alex discusses the heavy Latin, Hispanic, and Spanish influences that have been influencing the music on SEMO's campus recently. Additionally, he details the fact that SEMO's River Campus is currently the home to three Brazilian exchange students.
The concert is set for October 21 at 7:30 p.m. in the Bedell Performance Hall. The SEMO Jazz Bands promise to transport the audience to the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, reimagining Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story.
