Welcome to Purdue Jazz Festival 2009!

The 19th annual Purdue Jazz Festival is a place where high school and middle school jazz musicians come to be inspired by the pros, to show off their skills during intense competition, and to hear what is happening in jazz study with their peers in America’s Midwest.

It is a festival where students hear many different components of jazz from big bands to various sized combos. It is also a festival where students have the opportunity to learn more about the art of jazz from jazz professionals and educators who present classes and clinics throughout the day, and where they have the opportunity to immediately try out some of these concepts.

This year’s festival will again feature performances by some of the most outstanding jazz musicians in the world. The Mingus Big Band has been described as both a wonder and an anomaly...the Mingus Band has taken a musical legacy and transformed it into a creative force that generates a contemporary originality and vitality all its own.  With a lineup of some of the most innovative and in-demand New York jazz artists, a more exciting and inspiring big band will not be found anywhere.

Allen Vizzutti is one of the most astounding trumpet players in the world.  Equally at home in a small jazz setting, playing lead trumpet, on a solo recital stage, in front of a symphony orchestra or in a recording studio, this virtuoso is also one of the most inspiring teachers anywhere.  Chick Corea describes him this way, “Finely tuned wind, easy control, polyharmonic wit, orchestral penmanship, punctuated spiritual warmth…rarely do so many qualities find themselves in one musician.”

Baritone saxophonist Gary Smulyan is critically acclaimed as one of the major voices on the baritone saxophone today.   In 1978 he was asked to join Woody Herman's Young Thundering Herd, which at that time included Joe Lovano, Marc Johnson and John Riley. He left Herman in 1980 and moved back to New York to join the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra led by Bob Brookmeyer. Mr. Smulyan has recorded and performed worldwide with Freddie Hubbard, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Ray Charles, B.B. King, Tom Harrell. Cedar Walton, George Coleman, Joe Henderson, Joe Lovano, Tommy Flanagan, Chick Corea, Diana Ross, Clark Terry, Kenny Wheeler, Charles McPherson, James Moody and Slide Hampton, among others. Mr. Smulyan currently performs with the VANGUARD JAZZ ORCHESTRA, the JOE LOVANO NONET, the DAVE HOLLAND OCTET and BIG BAND, THE THREE BARITONE SAXOPHONE BAND, the GEORGE COLEMAN OCTET, the DIZZY GILLESPIE ALL STAR BIG BAND and the TOM HARRELL OCTET, as well as his own projects. 

We are also very excited to welcome back the Ryan Cohan Quartet from Chicago, a group constantly searching for new musical territory to explore while remaining deeply rooted in jazz and blues traditions. Conversant in a variety of world-music styles and rhythms, the group has distinguished itself on major stages throughout the U.S. and Canada by balancing dynamic and tight ensemble playing with explosive, expressive solos.

These superb artists are as committed to education as to the art of jazz and will present clinics and classes on their individual areas of expertise during the day. And, throughout the day on Saturday there will be close to one hundred performances by high school and middle school big bands and combos that will be free and open to the public. I know these concerts will inspire and entertain everyone who experiences them.

Dr. M.T. Mo Trout