ANTELOPE VALLEY COLLEGE : Jazz Band Headed for New Orleans

Antelope Valley College Jazz Ensemble members will take their Dixieland swing to the land of its birth Thursday.

The 19 ensemble members, ranging in age from 18 to 65, will be in New Orleans for a week to play at hotels and local festivals.

The musicians already are veterans of the New Orleans ragtime scene. They also have played as far away as Jamaica and Nassau. This summer, they hope to bring some cool musical relief to the warm shores of the Mediterranean.

“We’ll be playing at the Le Meridien Hotel in New Orleans, and we’ll be at some of the local festivals also,” said Lee Matalon, the ensemble’s band director. “We’re looking at Italy for the next trip, which should take place this upcoming summer.”

Band members said they hope to return from New Orleans with more than they took with them, including some of New Orleans’ magical musical moments. All are students at the college.