WE told you recently that Canberra saxophone player, Niels Rosendahl, had won a place in the University of North Texas College of Music Masters program. He’s off on August 8, but not before holding a farewell concert featuring some of the musicians who’ve helped him along the way.

Proceeds from the concert will go towards his US tuition fees, but the idea is not just to make money, it’s to have “just plain fun”.

In a gig focusing on ’50s and ’60s hard-bop classics and contemporary tunes, Rosendahl will play sax, accompanied by Luke Sweeting on piano and keyboard, Rafael Jerjen on bass and University of North Texas College alumnus Gary France on drums. They’ll be joined by the Rachael Thoms & Luke Sweeting Duo, as well as Ben Marston and Dan McLean on trumpet and blues queen Fiona Boyes.

Rosendahl tells “CityNews” that he will master in jazz studies, with a major in performance, but the main reason he’s so excited is the potential opportunity of performing with the Lab Bands (big bands), of which there are nine.

The One O’Clock Lab Band at UNT, he says, may well be the most famous university big band in the world and it’s been nominated for Grammies.

Rosendahl pays tribute to his alma mater, attributing his international performance experience in the UK and Europe and his acceptance into such a classy jazz education institution, to the supportive community, his ANU lecturer John Mackey and “the first-class performance education that I received at the ANU School of Music.”

Niels Rosendahl’s farewell concert, John Lingard Hall, Alexander Street, Red Hill, 7.30pm, July 28, bookings essential by phone or sms to 0418 845 426 or email nielsrosendahl@hotmail.com

Niels Rosendahl. Photo by Cole Bennetts