February 12, 2009 Issue
JAZZfest at ASU February 16 to 21
The Blue Note Records 70th Anniversary Tour, presented by ASU’s Performing Arts Series, is among several concerts scheduled for JAZZfest 2009, taking place Monday through Saturday, February 16 to 21.
Combining the best in regional jazz talent with nationally renowned jazz legends, the JAZZfest music festival will take place at Appalachian State University beginning Monday, February 16, through Saturday, February 21.
Sponsored by ASU’s Division of Student Programs, Office of Arts and Cultural Programs and the Hayes School of Music’s Jazz Studies Department, the mission of JAZZfest is “to become the premier regional jazz festival in Western North Carolina,” according to the JAZZfest website. In one week, the ASU campus will hear straight-ahead jazz classics, swing and Big Band jazz, Latin jazz, funky jazz fusion and even steel drum jazz.
Following are descriptions of each of the performers of JAZZfest 2009. For more info, call 828-262-3032 or click to www.jazzfest.appstate.edu.
Jon Thornton w/ the Todd Wright Quartet—February 16
Jon Thornton is a jazz trumpeter and vocalist from Charlotte with a 30-year career who has worked with such musicians as Dizzy Gillespie, Herb Ellis, Max Roach, Natalie Cole and the Woody Herman Orchestra. The Todd Wright Quartet features Wright on sax, Andy Page on guitar, Joe Crosswell on bass and Rick Dilling on drums.
The combo will perform jazz standards on Monday, February 16, at 6:30 p.m. in the Blue Ridge Ballroom of the Plemmons Student Union. The event will feature a dinner and proceeds will benefit Jazz Studies scholarships at ASU. Tickets are available in advance only for $8 at the student union information desk.
Jonathan Scales Fourchestra—February 17
On Tuesday, February 17, the Jonathan Scales Fourchestra will perform in the Crossroads coffee shop on the first floor of the student union. The free concert lasts from noon to 2:00 p.m. In one of the most unique jazz offerings in the Western North Carolina music scene, Scales combines a traditional Caribbean instrument—the steel drums—with a fresh jazz fusion mix of funk, rock, world music and even bluegrass. Scales released his debut One-Track Mind in 2007 and followed up with Plot/Scheme in 2008, featuring guest artists Jeff Coffin, Jeff Sipe and Joseph Wooten.
Blue Note Records 70th Anniversary Tour—February 17
Later on Tuesday, the ASU Performing Arts Series presents the Blue Note Records 70th Anniversary Tour. Known as the premier label in jazz, Blue Note Records has a rich history of talent and innovation with names like John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk and Art Blakey. An all-star band featuring some of the finest jazz musicians today is touring around the world to celebrate the record label’s 70th anniversary in 2009.
The concert is at Farthing Auditorium at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $18 for the general public, $16 for seniors and ASU staff and faculty and $10 for students. For tickets, call 828-262-4046 or click to www.pas.appstate.edu.
Con Clave—February 18
Bringing Latin jazz into the mix, Con Clave is an Asheville band that blends salsa, Afro-Cuban, jazz and contemporary sounds. The band features the family rhythm section of Ozzie Orengo, a native of Puerto Rico, and his son Ozzie Orengo, Jr. on congas and timbales. Con Clave also features vibraphonist Byron Hedgepeth, keyboardist Keith Davis, bassist Eliot Wadopian and saxophonist and flutist Stuart Reinhardt.
Con Clave performs on Wednesday, February 18, at 9:00 p.m. at Legends. Tickets are $4 for students in advance at the student union information desk and $6 for the general public at the door.
Audioform—February 20
Audioform is an acid-jazz funk collective that originated in Charlotte and has been touring nationally. The group fuses jazz, funk and soul into a sound augmented by a big horn section and a groove-oriented rhythm section.
The band performs at Legends on Friday, February 20, at 9:00 p.m. Tickets are $5 for students in advance at the student union info desk and $7 for the general public at the door.
ASU Jazz Ensemble I featuring Rick Simerly—February 21
Led by director Todd Wright, the Hayes School of Music Jazz Ensemble I will perform a concert in Farthing Auditorium on Saturday, February 21, at 8:00 p.m. The concert is free. The ensemble will feature trombonist Rick Simerly, with whom Wright frequently collaborates. Simerly is a recognized jazz performer who has played with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Billy Taylor, James Moody, Rufus Reid and many others.
The ensemble will perform a concert in the Big Band tradition.
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