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3/20/2003
Contact: K.E. Schwab --
724-738-2199; e-mail: karl.schwab@sru.edu
AREA HIGH SCHOOL JAZZ BANDS, GRAMMY WINNER
RANDY BRECKERTO GATHER AT SRU MARCH 29 FOR ‘DAY OF JAZZ AT
THE ROCK’ INCLUDING PUBLIC CONCERT
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – “A Day of Jazz at
The Rock,” Slippery Rock University’s second annual
jazz festival, will feature 250 jazz musicians from 13 western
Pennsylvania high schools and middle schools and offer a master
jazz class and public concert by Grammy Award-winner Randy
Brecker.
The
all-day event will be held March 29, with the public concert
featuring Brecker and the SRU Jazz Ensemble set for 7 p.m., in
Miller Auditorium. Tickets are $5. The concert will include
presentation of awards earned during the day’s competition.
The SRU ensemble is directed by Stephen Hawk, associate professor
of music. A number of other leading jazz musicians will be on hand
throughout the day offering clinics and sessions with the high
school musicians.
PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS
Slippery
Rock
High
Center High North Allegheny High
North
Hills Middle SchoolKiski Middle
School
Sharpsville High
Seneca
Valley
High
Kiski
High
Pittsburgh All City
Upper
St.
Clair
Seneca Valley
High
Mars High
Thomas
Jefferson High
“Jazz
Day,” organized by Hawk, brings high school jazz bands to
campus for competition and adjudication from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in
Swope Music Hall. Hawk says, “The day gives high school
students the chance to talk with the jazz artists and clinicians.
It gives them a chance to ask questions about the profession and
the music along with the opportunities to try out various music
techniques. It also provides some added incentive to
practice.”
In
addition to Brecker’s master class, SRU jazz faculty Terry
Steele will offer a session in jazz saxophone, and Dr. David Glover
will offer a session in jazz percussion. Jazz artists Dwayne
Dolphin will present a session in string bass, and Reggie Watkins
will present jazz trombone tips.
Brecker,
who has had his work reviewed by Downbeat, Rapport Magazine,
Jazzizz, the Jazz Trumpet Journal, Jazztimes and Billboard, among
others, is heavily influenced by Brazilian music. He received the
“Best Contemporary Jazz Performance Grammy” in 1998 for
his “Into the Sun” release on Concord Jazz, and he has
appeared with the Trumpet Summit band, the Jazz Times
“Superband” and the Brecker Brothers Acoustic Band,
among others.
Now
signed with ESC Records, his latest CD titled “34 N
Lex” will be released in April featuring Michael Brecker,
David Sanborn, Fred Wesley, Ronnie Cuber and his regular working
band. He previously released “Hangin’ in The
City,” which includes funk/hip-hop and jazz
compositions.
Brecker
has been called a “musical pioneer who continues to perform
extensively around the world in a variety of settings. His quest
for musical excellence while constantly expanding his trumpet style
and encyclopedic catalogue of compositions are
unparallel.”
PN, PgN, WPN, PR
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