The 31st Annual Jazz Festival was held on Saturday, February 17.  16 High School bands joined clinicians for a day of jazz.  We partnered with Jazz at Lincoln Center as a Regional Essentially Ellington Festival.  Bands came from Brookfield, Columbus, Concord IN, Fond du Lac, Grafton, Mt Horeb, Menomonee Falls, Oak Creek, Sun Prairie, Waunakee, and West DePere.

Jim Piela - saxophone, Erica von Kleist - saxophone, Dan Wallach - saxophone, Bennett Wood - saxophone, Derrick Gardner - trumpet, Darren Sterud - trombone, Rick Haydon - guitar, Reggie Thomas - piano, Chris Rottmayer - piano, Chris Behrens - piano, Ethan Phillion - bass, and Jim Huwe- drums.

This past Thursday we were so fortunate to have Maxine Gordon visit East and West High Schools.  Gordon is an author, historian, civil rights activist, Harvard Fellow, and wife of late great saxophonist Dexter Gordon.