It was 1910. The port city of New Orleans was on the brink of developing a spicy new musical collaboration. Famed clarinetist Johnny Dodds, cornetist Joe "King" Oliver and a student by the name of Louis Armstrong were leaving the Crescent City to travel north to Chicago, where it was said clubs and hot night spots were dipping into improvisational jazz.

As the trio would soon find out, these were the times that shaped an unforgettable era, and the start of a musical genre that still beats loudly today.

Ah, jazz. The sometimes chaotic, sometimes soothing form of music can be heard almost anywhere - coffee shops, smoky bars or in students' living rooms.

But tonight, the multiple layers of trombone, stand-up bass, trumpet, saxophone, piano and drums that form the music can be heard from none other than MSU's own Professors of Jazz as they play through the sunset in the new Detroit Symphony Orchestra's Jazz Club Series at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit.

Former member Wycliffe Gordon, an eminent trombonist and founder of the group, said the group plays the music that personifies America.

The Professors of Jazz are comprised of Associate Professor and jazz studies Director Rodney Whitaker, Assistant Professor of trumpet jazz Derrick Gardner, jazz drums instructor Randy Gelispie, instructors of jazz studies Diego Rivera and Rick Roe and trombonist Vincent Gardner.

"I started the (Professors of Jazz) four years ago with myself and Wycliffe Gordon when he was a member of our jazz faculty," Whitaker said. "Jazz is the best example of democracy in action, also (it) is the best representative of diversity."

The Jazz Club Series in Detroit came alive when organizers decided a new building needed to be built for different types of shows, said DSO executive director Anne Parsons.

"Our idea was that we were fairly limited with Orchestra Hall because there are some things that are suitable for a big stage like that, and some that are better for smaller, intimate spaces," Parsons said. "The acoustics are wonderful."

With the new Max M. Fisher Music Center building constructed and functioning, it was then up to Whitaker to pull all the necessary strings together to get the Jazz Series rolling.

As a student, Whitaker was a member of the DSO educational programs and now, as a professional musician and professor, he works with the DSO as a consultant to their educational programs, he said.

"The Professors of Jazz at MSU are in residence at the DSO's performing arts complex," he said.

"We are honored and privileged to hold a residency with a nationally recognized organization."

The first jazz show, which sold out, featured notable trumpeter Jon Faddis, along with the Professors of Jazz.

"There must have been eight people (on stage)," Parsons said. "Then, what they did, they played in different configurations."

Faddis, who was the ring leader of the jazz spectacular, ran the show from beginning to end, Parsons said.

"Jon (Faddis) called the set live from the stage," Parsons said. "It was great because Rodney (Whitaker's) civic kids played with Faddis."

Not only was there great jazz to relax to, but the warm cozy setting of the Fisher Music Center brought the evening's chilled vibe to life.

The interior of the Fisher Music Center is as intimate and jazzy as it gets, Parsons said. The room is set up with multiple tables and candles lighting the sit-down spots. Wine, soft drinks and other food and beverages are available for jazz cats to munch on and sip.

"We could get more people in if we didn't do (the set up) that way, but we'd rather fill it up and have it be relaxed," Parsons said.

The math of success doesn't get much easier - great jazz, and an even more authentic setting equal one new initiative that, over time, will likely become a staple in Detroit, Parsons said.

"It was a big hit," she said. "I've gone to a lot of jazz clubs all my life, and I felt like I was in a club that I would normally go to."

Whitaker said he is expecting the same sensational crowd and experience tonight when the Professors of Jazz assemble on stage and burst into classics by greats such as Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis.

"This show is a homecoming of sorts," he said. "I've toured with Wycliffe (Gordon) for six years.

"It is truly an honor to share the stage with him."

However, if a trip to Detroit is out of the question tonight, do not fret - the Professors of Jazz frequently perform at the Creole Gallery, 1218 Turner St. in Lansing, said Jill McMillan, the communications manager for the School of Music.

For more information about when and where the PJs will be playing, visit the School of Music's Web site at music.msu.edu.

Lindsey K. Anderson is the music reporter at The State News. Reach her at ander848@msu.edu.