For some musicians, there are only two directions in which their music can go: straight to the top of the charts or straight to the bottom of the bargain bin.

In jazz, however, there are no limits on the directions in which a band can take its sound. Tuesday night, Directions in Music will return to Eisenhower Auditorium, but this time, the group will be headed in a different direction altogether.

Senior -- and, for that matter, "super-senior" -- jazz fans might recall the group's performance in October 2001, which paid tribute to the music of jazz heavies Miles Davis and John Coltrane. If the concert itself isn't ringing any bells, perhaps the reappearance of pianist Herbie Hancock, saxophonist Michael Brecker and trumpeter Roy Hargrove will.

"The first show was nearly sold out. Everyone loved it," Center for the Performing Arts spokeswoman Laura Sullivan said. "We were thrilled with the concert, so we waited until they had another project to bring them back."

"The timing really worked out perfectly," she added.

This time around, the project is titled Our Times. As suggested by its name, the program will feature the works of contemporary composers such as Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea and Hancock himself.

According to a news release, Our Times "focuses on and explores the themes of contemporary composers who have helped to influence the progression of the continuous jazz vernacular."

Sullivan said the program will also feature "comfortable" music by well-known artists such as Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles. But the song selections and variety of composers is enough to make this concert notably different than the previous performance, she said.

"Anybody who thinks it will be exactly like what they already heard is wrong," she said. "They will be playing music from a real mixture of legends, and these guys are geniuses in their own right as well."

Genius or not, the members of Directions in Music certainly serve as connections to a rich jazz history.

Hancock, whose name has been known in the jazz world since 1960, was a part of the Miles Davis Quintet only three years later. He is known for jazz standards such as "Cantaloupe Island" but also for being one of the first musicians to fuse acoustic improvisation with electronics and synthesizers on albums such as 1973's Headhunters.

In more than three decades, Brecker has developed some musical connections of his own. The tenor saxophonist has performed with jazz artists such as McCoy Tyner and Charles Mingus.

Brecker has also expanded his repertoire into the mainstream by working with rock artists like Paul Simon and Bruce Springsteen. Brecker has also released 10 albums as a bandleader.

As the youngest member of the group at age 35, Hargrove represents a newer class of jazz musicians for Directions in Music.

Fellow trumpeter Wynton Marsalis discovered Hargrove during his high school years and encouraged him to pursue the instrument in his college studies.

By 1998, he had won a Grammy award for his first album, Habana,.

Just four years later, won another for his performance on Live at Massey Hall, a live recording by Directions in Music.

Georgios Giannios (senior-music education), who plays baritone saxophone for Penn State Big Band Centre Dimensions, said he expects to gain something from the performance as a member of the jazz community.

"I'll definitely be going to this show, mainly because these performers have had a huge influence in jazz and music in general," he said. "Being a musician, I owe it to myself to see these guys jam."

And speaking of Grammys, Giannos said he is excited to hear the group's take on songs by Charles, who just won eight posthumous awards Sunday night.

"They seem to have such a strong chemistry that allows them to take any song and make it their own," he said. "Performing songs by the late Ray Charles is a great way to keep his music alive, just like they did with Coltrane and Davis."

Conveniently enough, the evening will also head in a celebratory direction, as the show takes place on the date of Penn State's actual sesquicentennial birthday.

Sullivan said the Center for Performing Arts has taken special measures to make this concert extra festive.

The Center will have the performers play a rendition of "Happy Birthday to You" and providing cake and cupcakes for audience members.

"We just happened to have hopefully one of our most well attended events on such a great night," she said. "We're going to be celebrating Penn State's birthday in a jazzy way."