Members of the US Navy Greatlakes Jazz and Rock Combo visited Sun Prairie. They worked with all three jazz ensembles in short clinics as we round-robin performed for each other. The night was capped off with a set of video-game tunes re-imagines for jazz. There support for our students was fantastic, and they provided a ton of inspiration through their performance!
Friday was our middle school jazz festival. Students from Central Heights, Patrick Marsh, and Prairie View all met during the day to work on jazz with clinicians Bruce Hering, Jim Huwe, and Steve Sveum. The event ended with all three bands featuring the clinicians, and they were joined by Sun Prairie Jazz I for the evening concert.
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.
Combo students were once again able to open for the Darren Sterud Jazz Orchestra. The DSO has been doing their Nutcracker performances for the past 14 years. We have been really fortunate to be involved as an opening act the past three years. This has provided a ton of experience for our students. This year a smaller venue meant that we sent out a combo instead of the full band. The engagement however was for two nights affording multiple horn lines the opportunity to do some small group work.
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