By Justin Moore
The 14th annual Louisville Jazz Fest will begin tomorrow at the School of Music here at the University of Louisville. It’s an event meant to attract new students of the School of Music and give current School of Music students a chance to work with some big names in the jazz world.
“The true essence of Jazz Week has been to offer visiting students from throughout the region and our jazz studies students the opportunity to interact with jazz masters and leading jazz educators in concerts, clinics, workshops and adjudication,” stated the School of Music’s Web site. “It has been an exciting event which we hope to make even more vital by condensing to a four day festival called Jazz Fest.”
Things kick off tomorrow with International Night, where student musicians from all over the world will meet with jazz masters form all over the world. International Night will include performances by Open World Ensemble, a Eurasian jazz ensemble that will be representing Russia and Garage Sale, a jazz quartet that represents Argentina.
Jazz Fest will include more than just concerts, with workshops for student musicians being held by international jazz masters. John Goldsby, a Louisville-native, will be featured, according to John Chamberlain, U of L’s communications and marketing director.
Goldsby will be playing bass with Jazz Ensemble II on Thursday. The ensemble includes Jack Wilkins on saxophone, Michael Parkinson on trumpet and Corey Christiansen on guitar. Wilkins is a professor of jazz studies at the University of South Florida.
According to the School of Music, Wilkins’ career includes performances with some of the top jazz musicians in the world including one of the greatest jazz trombone players of all time, J.J. Johnson.
Parkinson is the Director of the School of Music in the Collage of Fine Arts at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Parkinson has worked with musicians including Gay Holmes Spears, a well-known composer. Spears, who graduated from the University of Tennessee has won numerous awards including “Tennessee Composer of the Year Award.”
Christiansen, who has been playing since he was 5, is a jazz musician who has released several CD’s and worked with jazz artists including John Pisano, one of the nations best guitar players. Pisano now performs with his wife Jeanne in the band “The Flying Pisanos.”
Byron Stripling, a trumpet player, will be in attendance on Friday. Stripling, who lives in Ohio has performed in many venues including Carnegie Hall. He is a frequent speaker at colleges and universities and enjoys conducting Seminars and Master Classes.
Stripling will be playing with Jazz Ensemble I with composer John LaBarbera. LaBarbera is a director here at the University of Louisville and a member of the Faculty Jazz Quartet. LaBarbera is a Grammy nominated artist with his new CD titled “On the Wild Side.”
To close out the festival, Dick Oatts will perform. Oatts has preformed with many artists and groups including Red Rodney, a bop and hard bop trumpeter.
“Our jazz program has brought U of L international notice in the genre of jazz, probably America’s only unique form of music,” said Chamberlain. “Students can hear world-class musicians at very modest prices at the fest.”
The cost to attend each event varies on the day. Wednesday’s events are $10 or $5 for students. Thursday’s events are $5 and $3 for students. Friday’s and Saturday’s events are $15 and $10 for students.
