Classical meets jazz with 'Bach'

While hearing jazz music at a church may seem odd, the idea isn't so far-fetched to Nora Nausbaum.

"Jazz is as sacred as anything else — as long as it's played well," she said.

Nausbaum is the flutist at Sunday's "Bach and the Beat" concert at First Lutheran Church in Yuba City. The concert, as the name suggests, is a mix of classical music with jazz. For the first half of the concert, Nausbaum will join First Lutheran organist Miriam Metson to perform Bach pieces.

After a short break, Nausbaum will join the jazz band the Sierra 3 to perform pieces by Duke Ellington, Antonio Carlos Jobine and Luis Bonfa, as well as jazz and blues standards.

"Miriam cooked (this idea) up," Nausbaum said of the concert. "She wanted to do something different. ... We've played together before, and the jazz group has played (at the church) before, so she decided to combine them."

The Sierra 3 consists of John Girton on guitar, Bill Douglass on bass and Nausbaum herself. For Sunday's concert, Tim Metz will join the group on drums.

"It's very well played music, and it's free," Nausbaum said. "People would usually have to pay money to see something like this, and it's nice that the church is sponsoring the performance for the community."

While admission to the concert is free, donations will be accepted.

"Bach and the Beat"

When: 3 p.m. Sunday

Where: First Lutheran Chuch, 850 Cooper Ave., Yuba City

Admission: Free; donations accepted