The Northern Illinois University Jazz Lab Band and the NIU U-Jazz Band will perform their first concert of the spring semester at 8 p.m. Thursday. The concert will take place at the NIU School of Music Boutell Memorial Concert Hall in the Music Building, 300 Lucinda Ave.

Both jazz ensembles will perform a wide variety of styles within the jazz genre, including works by legendary jazz composers Duke Ellington, Herbie Hancock, Horace Silver and Pat Metheny.

This year the Lab includes many new and talented members, including Sean Holly, a trombonist from DeKalb High School, as well as many outstanding freshmen, including Everette Benton on drums; Ethan Woyach, Andy Czarnecki, Francesca Hanson, Gavin Tidaback and Micah Huff on trumpets; Carlos Brown on alto saxophone; and trombonists Matt Farias and Joshua Cleveland.