The Central Wisconsin Jazz Ensemble (CWJE) will perform with a Stevens Point native now living and singing in Chicago – Typhanie Monique.

Monique will join the group as a singer during its concert at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 25, at Sentry’s Theater @1800, 1800 North Point Drive, Stevens Point. Tickets are $20 for students and $35 for adults. The hors d’oeuvres will be catered by Rockmans, and the cash bar will be by Sentry, starting at 6:45 p.m.

Monique will join the ensemble for six songs, including “Whatever Lola Wants” and “Here’s to Life.”  Five others will be played without a singer.

“Typhanie and I discussed her compositions. I chose the rest. My goal for the CWJE is to present challenging, exciting concert Jazz Ensemble music,” said Brett Turney, associate professor of trumpet at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Monique is a Stevens Point native who went to and graduated from the Stevens Point Area Senior High School and has returned to perform in past years in the Riverfront Jazz Festival. She currently lives in Chicago.

The CWJE includes five saxophonists, Mark Piasecki, Jeff Erickson, Steve Johnson, David Hastings and Mark Limos; four trombone players, Nick Keelan, Bill Denee, Pat Lawrencec and Steve Sewall; and four trumpet plyers, Turney, John Daniel, Marty Robinson and Matthew Schiessl.

Matt Buchman will play piano, while Dave Story will be bass and Ryan Korb on drums.

“These are the best musicians I can ask to perform within a two-hour drive,” said Turney. “I’ve been lucky to meet many wonderful musicians in Wisconsin and they love to perform together.”

The CWJE concert is a fundraiser for the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra (CWSO), which has been around for 68 years.

“They all play at an incredibly high level. This is going to be the best band with this kind of music around,” said Ann Huntoon, executive director of CWSO.

CWSO is a nonprofit organization aiming to enrich central Wisconsin’s music scene and engage and educate people through live music.

The last time this group played together was in January, where they had professional trumpet player Marvin Stamm join them.

“We had a really great audience there and they were really enthusiastic so that gave us the confidence that this is something people really wanted to have,” Huntoon said.