The Heart of Carolina Jazz Orchestra, directed by Gregg Gelb, presents its 15th season of jazz concerts at the Temple Theatre in Sanford Each concert presents the 20-piece jazz orchestra and special guest artists.

On Jan. 5, the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Choir, under the direction of the Rev. Iris Jordan, will join the orchestra for the first time.

Soloists include Alexander Brower, Cordelia Winchester, Vanessa Murchison and Mark McLanie.

Gelb, director of the orchestra, has earned a commission through a New Works Grant from the North Carolina Arts Council to orchestrate five new arrangements for the two groups to play together, and they will be premiered at the concert.

Additionally, the groups will perform separately.

The choir will perform other works in its repertoire and the orchestra will perform big band jazz arrangements of tunes such as "Down by the Riverside" and "I'll Fly Away."

One of the many other tunes on the program is a wonderful arrangement of "Deep River" by Sanford native and former United States Air Force arranger, Paul Kelly.

The master of ceremonies for the concert will be Sanford Mayor Cornelia Olive.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $6 for children. The Temple Theatre is located at 118 Carthage St., Sanford. The box office number is 919-774-4155

This project receives support from the North Carolina State Arts Council and the Lee County Arts Council through the Grassroots Arts Program of the North Carolina State Arts Council.

Both agencies are funded by the State of North Carolina and the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.