Welcome to Purdue Jazz Festival 2008!
(details about Purdue Jazz Festival 2009 coming in Fall '08)
The 18th 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. From the stratospheric high notes, fiery technique and power of legendary trumpeter Jon Faddis and his outstanding big band – the Chicago Jazz Ensemble you will hear a tribute concert featuring the big band music of Dizzy Gillespie, Nat King Cole, and arrangements of Thelonius Monk’s music by the fabulous Michael Phillip Mossman. Fans of more contemporary styles of jazz will get to hear the exciting saxophone recording artist Eric Marienthal. Well known for his exceptional work on lead alto with the Gordon Goodwin Big Phat Band and the amazing GRP All-Star Big Band, Eric also tears it up with Chic Corea’s Elektric band and the Rippington’s as well as starring on over a dozen of his own solo albums on the Peak Record label. We are also excited to host one of the finest big band jazz drummers on the scene today. Since he stormed on to the jazz forefront as the drummer with Woody Herman’s Young Thundering Herd in his early twenties, Steve Houghton has recorded and performed with a huge list of jazz luminaries, including Gary Burton, Clay Jenkins, Shelly Berg, Toots Thielemans, Christian McBride, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Freddie Hubbard, Lyle Mays, Billy Childs, Rosemary Clooney, Peggy Lee, Pat LaBarbara, Arturo Sandoval, Joe Henderson, Karrin Allyson and Maureen McGovern. With over 100 recordings to his credit, this outstanding artist is also committed to jazz education, having authored over 30 educational books and DVDs and serves as a Professor of Percussion and Jazz at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. From Louisville, Kentucky the Ron Jones Quartet will be joining us. This group will offer the very best in “straight ahead” jazz combo styles fronted by the outstanding alto saxophonist and educator Mr. Ron Jones.
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.
Along with the generous support of Purdue Employees Federal Credit Union (PEFCU), the Vision of Hope Foundation, the Purdue University Bands, Purdue Convocations, and the Lafayette/West Lafayette community are ready to welcome you to this exciting jazz weekend. I hope to see you there.
Dr. M.T. Mo Trout
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