Purdue News
Purdue News
The festival kicks off at 8 p.m. Friday with a Purdue Convocations concert by Steve Turre and the Sanctified Shell Band. Trombonist Turre is best known for his weekly appearances with the Saturday Night Live band. Each of Turre's 10 band members, whether a brass player or percussionist, doubles on traditional horns and seashells-turned-horns. Tickets are $19 and available at Purdue Box Offices, (765) 494-3933.
On Saturday, Jan. 18, approximately 75 high-school jazz bands from Indiana, Illinois and Michigan will participate in various jazz competitions and educational clinics. Throughout the day, high-school and middle-school bands also will perform at several sites on campus, including Loeb Playhouse, Fowler Hall and the North Ballroom of the Memorial Union. Each band will be evaluated by a panel of judges, who will select an honor band and honor student for the festival.
Also on Saturday, notable jazz musicians such as Bobby Shew, Steve Turre and Dominic Spera will give educational clinics on topics such as improvisation, rehearsal techniques and performance techniques.
A grand finale concert will be presented at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in Elliott Hall of Music. The top high-school and middle-school honor bands selected from the day's competition will open the concert. The Purdue Jazz Band, with guest trumpeter Bobby Shew and under the direction of Lissa Fleming May and guest conductor Dominic Spera, also will perform.
Shew has played with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, the Woody Herman Band and the Buddy Rich Band. Spera has performed with such artists as Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra and Natalie Cole, as well as with the Boston, Cleveland and Indianapolis symphonies. He is a professor of music at Indiana University.
Tickets for Saturday's activities are $8 and will be available in the main lobby of Stewart Center the day of the festival. Advance tickets can be purchased at Purdue Box Offices, (765) 494-3933.
CONTACT: Jennifer Tucker, director of public relations for bands, (765) 496-2697; e-mail: tuckerj@omni.cc.purdue.edu
vbh/r-tucker.jazz/no
