The world of jazz brings a refreshing change to the usual rock concerts students can attend at Penn State.

Not that rock concerts are a bad thing, but this is something different, something that cannot be found on a typical Friday night in Happy Valley.

The School of Music is presenting the second annual Dimensions in Jazz concert tomorrow night at the HUB-Robeson Center. Dimensions in Jazz will feature six jazz bands, along with guest jazz drummer John Riley.

"Dimensions in Jazz is designed to showcase the jazz department of the School of Music," coordinator Rick Hirsch said.

Hirsch, a jazz professor, is the director and a member of one of the bands featured tomorrow night -- Inner Dimensions.

Three big-band student ensembles, Centre Dimensions, Outer Dimensions and Inner Dimensions, will be on hand to showcase their talents.

Each of these bands is made up of about 20 Penn State students and graduate students. All three will be playing a variety of classic big music.

Also on stage will be two student jazz combos that will be playing original songs, and a faculty band made up of faculty members and graduate assistants.

This concert is concluding a two-day workshop being presented by guest John Riley. It is an open workshop and will take place tonight and Friday afternoon in the Music Building.

The workshop will include two big band rehearsals, a jazz combo workshop and a drum set master class.

"My combo gets to perform on [tonight]. I definitely expect to learn a lot," Inner Dimensions and student combo member Corey Wallace said.

John Riley is a Grammy-award-winning jazz drummer, with more than 30 years of professional experience and 11 nominees under his belt. He began playing drums at age eight and he began performing professionally at about 14.

From there, Riley went to college in Texas. He traveled to New York and was asked to join the Woody Herman Band.

Riley has written two books about bop drumming and taught master classes around the world.

He is a faculty member at the Manhattan School of Music, The New School and the State University of New York at Purchase.

The fun starts at about 9:40 p.m. Friday in HUB Alumni Hall, when bands begin warming up, and the show starts at 10 p.m.

"The show is worth coming to see," Inner Dimensions drummer Don Mosteller said. "Riley is one of the best performers in New York."

The performances are free.