Airmen of Note, considered the premier jazz ensemble of
the U.S. Air Force, will headline the 44th annual Marshall University Jazz Festival,
which begins Jan. 31 and continues through Feb. 2. Performances will take place
at 7 p.m. each evening in the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center on the
university's Huntington campus.
"The Jazz Festival is one of the many programs put forth by the
College of Fine Arts, funded in part by the president's office of Marshall
University and the Marshall University Foundation," Sean Parsons,
assistant professor of music in jazz studies at Marshall, said in a release.
"By bringing performers to campus as part of this festival, it is one way
to share music and art with the university and community."
Admission to the concerts will be free; however, tickets are required and
can be picked up the nights of the performances at the Joan C. Edwards box
office.
The festival begins Thursday evening with a performance by this year's high
school honor ensemble, The Patriot, from Parkersburg South High School, under
the direction of Eric Staats. Afterward there will be a performance by Marshall
University student combos.
The Marshall University Alumni Big Band will perform Friday night, followed
by Marshall University 12.0 and guest artists. Parsons said the alumni band is
an ensemble that spans four decades, made up of many musicians who studied jazz
at Marshall. The ensemble is led by alumnus and Marshall adjunct professor Jeff
Wolfe.
"The groups will be top notch, including our own 12.0 Jazz Ensemble
and top jazz combo, Project Postbop," said Martin Saunders, associate
professor of music in trumpet and jazz studies at Marshall and director of the
12.0 Jazz Ensemble. "The 12.0 performs every year as part of the jazz
festival and has performed with several notable, highly regarded guest
artists."
Saturday is the closing night, with a performance by the Thundering Herd
All-Star Band and the featured guests, Airmen of Note. The band is a group of
select high school musicians who come together in a jazz ensemble, working over
the period of a few days to perform a concert, Parsons said. This year features
students from six high schools and will be led by Steve Roberts, director of
jazz at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
"Audience members who attend on Saturday night will hear one of the
premier jazz ensembles on the planet, the U.S. Air Force Airmen of Note,"
Saunders said in the release. "I'm excited to hear the Airmen of Note
since I used to be part of the Air Force Bands program and the pianist is a
good friend from that previous experience."
According to their website, the Airmen of Note was created in 1950 to carry
on the tradition of Maj. Glenn Miller's Army Air Corps dance band.
Throughout the day prior to the evening concerts the festival will feature
11 junior high and high school ensembles from around the region. They will
perform at Joan C. Edwards and are adjudicated and given a workshop by guest
clinicians.
The festival is in memory of trombonist Jim Groscup, a Marshall alumnus and
active member of the musical community.
Questions about the festival may be directed to Parsons at 304-696-6459 by
phone or parsons@marshall.edu by e-mail.
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