'Jazz in the Meadows' at 30

The Midwest's largest high school jazz festival returns to the area on Saturday, celebrating a milestone achievement.

This will be the 30th annual Jazz in the Meadows festival at Rolling Meadows High School, and organizers say it has remained true to its mission — bringing young jazz students together with professionals and college educators to heighten their level of performance.

Once again, a whopping 115 jazz bands and combos will perform throughout the day, from 68 schools across the Midwest.

Christopher Buti, director of bands at Rolling Meadows, has run the festival for 15 years, longer than his three predecessors, including the festival's founder, Len King.

Over the years, he has seen a steady growth in area jazz programs, judging by the number of schools that bring two jazz bands to festival, as well as more combos.

“This is an area that has really seen the skill level of improvisation increase,” Buti says.

Overall, he hopes the fest excites and inspires students about jazz.

“It is a great opportunity for theses directors and students, who have worked so very hard on their music, to share their passion for jazz with others outside of their school,” Buti says.

The daylong festival mobilizes all the Music Booster parents at Rolling Meadows, who staff the event, but it also drives the nearly 1,000 students who participate.

Bass guitarist Tim Seisser graduated from Rolling Meadows in 2001 and now is a professional musician. He would come to Jazz in the Meadows even before he was old enough to attend Rolling Meadows High School, and he couldn't wait to get there to play in the jazz band.

“I remember seeing so many great musicians my age, which really inspired me,” Seisser says. “I specifically remember one jam session when I was a sophomore and seeing a bassist who was really good. I thought to myself, ‘I can be that good if I work hard enough.' ”

Len King founded the festival with his colleague, George Southgate, a junior high band director in Rolling Meadows. They launched it in 1985, when the prestigious Oak Lawn Jazz Festival folded after 25 years, leaving a big void in the student jazz world.

“Right from the start, we wanted to have a festival that would include clinics, guest artists, and open jam sessions for student improvisation,” says King, now retired and living in Arizona. “After the first festival, we knew this was going to be something great.”

Over the years, only two schools have participated all 30 years: Buffalo Grove and Wheeling high schools. In the case of Buffalo Grove, the same band director, Ed Jacobi, has returned each year with his young jazz musicians.

Brian Logan and his Wheeling Wildcats return this year as defending grand champions, but he sees the experience as much bigger than winning titles.

“It a chance for us to hear some of the best high school jazz bands in the Midwest,” Logan says, “and an opportunity to perform for an extremely knowledgeable panel of jazz professionals. And the final concert is always spectacular.”

Winners of the four classes will advance to the grand finale concert to reprise their selections.

That will be followed by a special performance from Gordon Goodwin and the Big Phat Band, whose album, “Life in the Bubble” won the 2015 Grammy for best large ensemble album.

If you go:

What: 30th annual Jazz in the Meadows festival

When: All day Saturday, Feb. 28, opens at 8 a.m.

Where: Rolling Meadows High School, 2901 Central Road

Tickets: Full day $15; $10 students/seniors; $35 family of 4 (two adults/two children). Grand finale concert only: $10; $7 students/seniors

More info, performance schedule: rmhsmusicboosters.com/

Schedule:

8 a.m.-noon and 1-4:30 p.m. Performances, jam sessions, clinics simultaneously on multiple stages

Noon: Lunch break; performance in the main gym by Chris Siebold and Psycles

4:45-5 p.m. Grand Finale Concert with performances from the winning bands in all four categories

6 p.m. Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band

Who's playing:

Antioch Community High School, Ashwaubenon High School, Barrington High School, Bolingbrook High School, Buffalo Grove High School, Carl Sandburg High School, Carl Schurz High School, Carmel Catholic High School, Champaign Central High School, City High School (Iowa), Cooper Middle School, Deerfield High School, Dunlap High School, Eastview High School, Elk Grove High School, Fremd High School, Grayslake Central High School, Grayslake Middle School, H.L. Richards High School, Holmes Junior High School, Holmes Middle School, Hononegah High School, Illinois Valley Central High School, Jersey Community High School, John Hersey High School, Lake Zurich High School, Larkin High School, Limestone Community High School, Lincoln-Way Central High School, Lincoln-Way East High School, Lincoln-Way North High School, Lincoln-Way West High School, Lindbergh High School, Lockport Township High School, Marmion-Rosary High School, Monticello High School, Mossville Junior High School, Mundelein High School, Naperville North High School, Oak Prairie Junior High School, Old Quarry Middle School, Palatine High School, Parkland Middle School, Pattonville High School, Paxton-Buckley-Loda High School, Paxton-Buckley-Loda Junior High School, Penn High School, River Trails Middle School, Rockwood South Middle School, Rockwood Summit High School, Rolling Meadows High School, Saint Patrick High School, Saint Viator High School, Sandwich High School, Schaumburg High School, Shawano High School, Sperreng/Truman Middle School, Streator Township High School, Sycamore High School, Thomas Middle School, Vernon Hills High School, Warren Township High School, Wheaton North High School, Wheeling High School, Yorkville Middle School.