Faculty members are taking the night off from their university duties and showing off their talents.

At 7:30 p.m. in the Doudna Fine Arts Center’s Black Box Theatre, the first concert of the faculty artist series will be presented.

This performance is a part of an ongoing series of recitals.

The first concert features a faculty jazz trio.

The director of the jazz band and coordinator of the Eastern jazz combo program, Paul Johnston will be playing the piano.

David Fink, an Eastern music teacher and coach of the combo program, will be playing the bass in the trio. Jamie Ryan, professor of applied percussion, will be playing the drums.

The concert will include jazz compositions by Thelonious Monk, McCoy Tyner, Sonny Stitt, and pieces from the American Songbook.

Also featured in this jazz concert will be Dr. Sam Fagaly, Eastern director of jazz studies and saxophone professor. “(Fagaly) will be joining the trio for two, possibly three songs,” Fink said.

From the dozens of selections the trio brought in, nine or 10 selections will be played for the concert, Johnston said.

Johnston, Fink, and Ryan are all looking forward to the concert and are encouraging all students and anyone else interested to come watch and enjoy the music.

“It’s free and it will be swinging,” Ryan said.

The trio is hopeful that students will gain something by seeing their teachers away from their desks, practicing another aspect of music.

“We may have a job but it’s a job that is incredibly enjoyable,” Ryan said.

The concert is not only for entertainment but to show students what is possible in the music field.

Fink said he hopes his students take something away from the performance.

“Hopefully how much fun you can have playing this kind of music,” Ryan said.

He said he wants his students to see that jazz is not just something they teach but something they live by.

This is not the first time this trio has performed together.

Last winter the three men got together to perform for the Eastern Jazz Ensemble, which carries the nickname of the Big Band.

This gave the trio the idea to play the concert series.

This free concert is open to everyone.

Olivia Angeloff can be reached at 581-7943 or at onangeloff@eiu.edu.