Eastern jazz combos Apollo Quartet, Vanguard Quintet, Birdland Quartet and Blue Note Quintet will be performing three compositions apiece Thursday.

Paul Johnston, director of the Jazz Lab Band and coordinator of the combo program, said each of the combo bands will be playing compositions that both the students and the coaches picked.

“The students and combo coaches all bring music into rehearsals,” Johnston said. “The combos then select a set to perform for the concert.”

The Apollo Quartet includes: Paul Johnston, piano; Tony Piecuch, guitar; Efrem Tutwiler, bass; and Andrew Vicino, drums. The combo is coached by Paul Johnston.

The Apollo Quartet will be performing: “Strike Up the Band” by George and Ira Gershwin; “Interplay” by Bill Evans; and “The Chicken” by Jaco Pastorius.

The Vanguard Quintet includes: Cassandra Bugbee, trumpet; Marty Román, piano; Matt Dennison, guitar; Nolan Lee, bass; and Kyle Dombroski, drums. This combo is coached by Chad Mathis, a graduate music major.

The Vanguard Quintet will be playing: “Four on Six” by Wes Montgomery; “Perdido” by Juan Tizol; and “Work Song” by Nat Adderley.

Kurt Swan, piano; Eric Fitts, guitar; Jack Helsley, bass; Jake Schlich, drums play in the Birdland Quartet that is coached by Jack Helsley, a Music department personnel.

The Birdland Quartet will be playing “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room” by John Mayer and arranged by Jake Schlich; “Don’t Explain” by Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog Jr. and arranged by Eric Fitts; and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” arranged by Kurt Swan.

The Blue Note Quintet includes: Aaron Eckert, trombone; Dan Hoffmann, piano; Steve Kaiser, guitar; Chad Mathis, bass; and Jamie Mauck, drums. This quintet is coached by Paul Johnston.

“Three to Get Ready” by Dave Brubeck, “Terminal 1” by Dan Phillips, and “Sunny Side of the Street” by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields will be played by the Blue Note Quintet.

Johnston said the combos create performance experience for the students.

“Students gain important experience playing in combos,” Johnston said. “They get an inside perspective of how music is constructed.”

The combos have been recognized for their performances at the Elmhurst, Notre Dame and North Texas jazz festivals.

The performance will be at 7:30 p.m., Thursday in the Theatre of the Doudna Fine Arts Center.

Samantha McDaniel can be reached at 581-2812 or slmcdaniel@eiu.edu.