Jazz musician Jimmy Sommers returns, establishes arts scholarship

It's been more than 20 years since Prospect Heights native Jimmy Sommers rehearsed in the Hersey High School band room.

But earlier this spring, he found himself back in those familiar surroundings, playing his saxophone with the Hersey jazz band.

In April, Sommers was honored as one of two distinguished Hersey alumni, along with the late Trevor Lehmann, class of 1985, who was a former Wheeling trustee.

Since graduating from Hersey in 1987, Sommers has gone on to build a successful career in Los Angeles, as a jazz musician. He was signed by Gemini Records in 1999, and since then has produced five CDs, including his current one, "Sunset Collective." Over the weekend, Sommers returned to play at the Capitol Jazz Festival in Washington, D.C., but his most recent Chicago performance was last year at the House of Blues.

For the induction ceremony as a distinguished alumni, Sommers rehearsed with the Hersey jazz band in playing the Boz Scaggs' classic, "Low Down," which he also recorded on one of his CDs, "360 Urban Groove."

But he also left a lasting legacy: Sommers established a $2,000 scholarship to be awarded each year to a senior interested in pursuing the fine arts.

"It doesn't have to be limited to band students, it can be anyone in the arts," Sommers said last week, during a phone interview.

As it turns out, an up-and-coming saxophone player, much like Sommers 21 years ago, won the first scholarship.

Kevin Jacobi, 17, of Arlington Heights was selected for the honor. The senior musician, who graduated from Hersey last week, won numerous awards this year, including being named outstanding jazz soloist at Jazz in the Meadows, at Rolling Meadows High School.

But he says his favorite was being named to the All-State Jazz Band in January in Peoria, and then being selected as one of the top seven players in the state, for the All-State Combo.

On top of all that, earning the scholarship, he says, only solidified his plans: he wants to pursue a professional career in music.

"I know I'd like to play," Jacobi says. "At this point in my life, I can't picture myself doing anything else."

Already, he has been accepted as one of four saxophone players into the music conservatory at the State University of New York, at Purchase College, located just outside Manhattan.

"The guys I'll be studying with are the guys I listen to on records," Jacobi says. "It's just a great environment to learn in."

Sommers himself took a slightly different route. After graduating from Hersey, he earned an engineering degree from Southern Illinois University, before heading to the West Coast, with the dream of breaking into the music business.

As it turns out, his music was his entree in a whole host of different opportunities, from music production to becoming a restaurateur.

"Music opened the door to get me in a lot of different places," Sommers said.

He recently started a clothing line, Whitehorse Couture, and he owns a popular Japanese-themed restaurant in Los Angeles, called "Koi."

But Sommers' saxophone is never far away. He figures he plays in 30 gigs a year, and he is working on producing his next CD.

All of which sounds exciting to Jacobi, who knows the life of a musician is difficult and unpredictable, but it's one he's determined to try.

"If I don't try it now," he says, "I'll never know."