The nine-time Grammy Award winner Wynton Marsalis with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra performed holiday favorite songs at the Keith-Albee Thursday.

Comprised of 15 of today’s finest jazz soloists and ensemble players, the orchestra spends over a third of the year on tour and can be heard through its weekly national radio programs, global television broadcasts and recordings.

The evening was filled with festive music with a modern jazz twist added.

“I really liked being able to hear remodeled jazz versions of all of my favorite Christmas carols,” Karenann Flouhouse, an online journalism and public relations double major, said. “Some of the songs that they performed, I haven’t heard of some of them, so it was really nice to be able to hear those for the first time.”

Tim Irr, an anchor from WSAZ, introduced the orchestra by thanking the sponsors and giving information about the performers. Ted Nash, who plays the alto and soprano saxophones, flute and clarinet was nominated for three Grammys and Catherine Russell, who is a jazz vocalist, was nominated for two Grammys. Irr also thanked the Marshall Artists Series for 80 years of performances.

“They bring us tremendous entertainment and we are so thankful to have them here in our community,” Irr said.

The Lincoln Orchestra opened with the song “Here Comes Santa Clause.” After every song played, Wynton Marsalis would acknowledge the musicians who performed solos through the piece they just finished. Marsalis then welcomed Catherine Russell to the stage by saying she has “soul, sophistication and soul in her pocket.”

Together, they performed Christmas favorites like “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “What Will Santa Clause Say,” “Let it Snow” and “Silver Bells.” They concluded the concert with the all-time favorite “Jingle Bells,” causing a standing ovation.

“This is something that I love,” Judith Silver, a former mathematics professor at Marshall University, said. “I’ve actually been to Lincoln Center when we went to New York. We went to a show called Mostly Mozart. My cousin’s son, Ryan Fraley, is in the Indianapolis Jazz Orchestra. He’s a trombonist and arranged that and we have some of his Christmas albums. I just love it.”

The next event for the Marshall Artist Series is Cinderella, The Full-Length Ballet presented by the State Ballet Theatre of Russia. The performance is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. at the Keith Albee Theater.

Krislyn Holden can be contacted at [email protected].