Jazz Festival returns to Elmhurst College
Jazz artists, both renowned and fledgling, will be in the spotlight this weekend when the Elmhurst College Jazz Festival brings professional and student jazz musicians together for performances and competitions.
Afternoon and evening sessions will entertain audiences from Thursday through Sunday in the college's Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel at the 51st version of this annual homage to the American musical genre originally derived from blues and ragtime.
“The Saturday night concert featuring Maria Schneider will certainly be a highlight,” festival Director Doug Beach said.
The Maria Schneider Orchestra hails from New York and is making its third appearance at the fest.
After Thursday afternoon's high school invitational, where five high school bands will perform, three jazz stars will perform with the Elmhurst College Jazz Band beginning about 4:30 p.m.
The three are: Sean Jones, a contemporary jazz trumpeter; Jiggs Whigham, a trombonist and band leader; and Grammy nominee Matt Wilson, a drummer. The three will be the featured performers as the festival closes out Sunday afternoon.
“They'll offer master classes to all of our college students throughout the weekend,” Beach said.
Friday night's featured performers, Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, recently won high accolades.
“They just won a Grammy Award for best instrumental composition,” Beach said.
Throughout the weekend, college bands will play for audiences, each other and for the professionals who will evaluate their performances and offer awards for outstanding achievement, Beach said.
College bands from Illinois, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Ohio, Texas, Michigan, Indiana and Iowa are scheduled to perform.
“The main focus is really about education. These groups get to hear each other,” Beach said.
Jones, Whigham and Wilson will serve as judges, he said.
“They'll kind of keep a watch on everything they've heard. As they're writing their critiques, they will give awards for outstanding talent,” Beach said.
Performances are open to the public. All require tickets for admission except the 9:30 a.m. free clinic master class.
Tickets for the high school invitational at 12:30 p.m. Thursday are $10. Tickets for the college ensemble performances at 11:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday are $10 to $12.
Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. Friday concert featuring Arturo O'Farrill are priced at $32 to $37; the Maria Schneider concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday carries a ticket price of $35 to $40. The 11:30 a.m. Sunday show with Jones, Whigham and Wilson, plus college ensembles, is priced at $16 to $20.