Over eighty big bands and combos from high schools and middle schools across the state of Indiana and entire Midwest have been accepted to compete in the 26th Purdue Jazz Festival in West Lafayette, IN, on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016.<\/p>\n
Festival events begin Thursday, Jan. 21, with a free Community Showcase Concert at 7:30 p.m. in Lafayette\u2019s Long Center.\u00a0 This concert will feature the Purdue Jazz Band, jazz bands from Tippecanoe County and guest trumpeter Rob Parton.<\/p>\n
Throughout the three-day festival, student musicians and the public will rub shoulders with performers of national renown. It boasts several headliner concerts plus competitions, clinics and special events.<\/p>\n
The all-female DIVA Jazz Orchestra led by Sherrie Maricle serves as the Friday night headliner concert beginning at 8:00 p.m. Jan. 22, in Loeb Playhouse of Purdue\u2019s Stewart Center, sponsored by Purdue Convocations.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, instrumental jazz ensembles from four states arrive early as competition stretches throughout the day in seven locations in the Purdue Stewart Center and Purdue Memorial Union on Purdue\u2019s campus. The music starts at 8:00 a.m. and continues through 5:30 p.m. It\u2019s all free. All the festival guest artists will give clinics which are also free and open to the public on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Artist-in-residence, Rob Parton will be featured in concert with the Purdue Jazz Band set for noon Jan. 18 in Loeb Playhouse. It\u2019s free and open to the community.<\/p>\n
World renowned trombonist Conrad Herwig and tenor saxophonist Chip McNeill, the director of jazz studies at the University of Illinois will headline Saturday\u2019s Festival Finale concert with the Purdue Jazz Band at 6:00 p.m. Jan. 23 in Loeb Playhouse. Awards and outstanding performances and honors for the high school performances will be announced at this concert. The finale concert is not open to the public as festival participants will occupy the concert hall.<\/p>\n
The 26th<\/sup> Annual Purdue Jazz Festival is made possible in part by a grant from the Indianapolis Arts Commission (Tippecanoe Arts Federation) with funding from the State of Indiana and the National Endowment for the Arts, and many corporate sponsors. For a list of festival sponsors, please click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n