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| Charles Mingus High School Competition & Festival: February 17–20, 2017 On Friday, February 17 to Sunday, February 20, high school students from across the US will celebrate the music of the late, great jazz bassist and composer, Charles Mingus (1922–1979), as part of the 9th Annual Charles Mingus High School Competition & Festival. Once again, the event will be hosted at both Manhattan School of Music (MSM), with performances by the Mingus Big band and Orchestra at the Jazz Standard. The event is organized and presented by MSM and by Sue Mingus and Let My Children Hear Music/ The Charles Mingus Institute and the MSM Jazz Arts Program. HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE US The 12 finalists' ensembles- six combos, and six big bands- taking part in this year's festival and competition are from California, Oklahoma, New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts (please see list of schools below). "Charles Mingus was an important figure in 20th-century American music and an important link in the lineage of jazz composition that goes back to Jelly Roll Morton, " said MSM President, Dr. James Gandre. "He was a pioneering jazz composer, virtuoso bass player, and bandleader who wrote in many different styles, for a variety of small ensembles, jazz big band and full orchestra." Sue Mingus, who notes that Mingus's music "came out of church and was drenched in the blues, " formed the first Mingus repertory group, the Mingus Dynasty, in 1979 and has overseen the performance and publishing of Mingus music ever since. Mingus's compositions- which, along with his scores, correspondence, original manuscripts, and more, were acquired by the Library of Congress in 1993 – are kept alive today on stages around the world and are frequently heard on screens big and small: in films by directors such as Spike Lee and Martin Scorsese and in television programs such as Orange is the New Black and Law & Order. His compositions have been covered by many artists including Joni Mitchell, Elvis Costello, Keith Richards, and Henry Rollins. DETAILS ABOUT THE FESTIVAL AND COMPETITION On Saturday, February 18, participating students will explore aspects of Mingus's music via clinics, workshops, lectures, and films at MSM on 122 Street at Broadway. The public is welcome to attend the film screening and performance by the Mingus Dynasty. Saturday's events will conclude with a student finalists' jam session. The high school finalists' competition on Sunday, February 19 is open to the public, as is the concluding concert and Awards Ceremony, in Neidorff-Karpati Hall from 9:30 am to 5:45 pm. That evening, outstanding soloists from the competition will be invited to sit in with the Mingus Big Band, who will perform all weekend at the Jazz Standard on 116 East 27 Street (between Park and Lexington). "The festival gives outstanding high school students around the country the opportunity to perform at an advanced level while enriching their school programs, " says James Gandre. "It's wonderful for students to be challenged by this music and to begin to form networks with other outstanding jazz musicians." For a full schedule of events, visit: msmnyc.edu/Mingus For further information: ctoriaga@msmnyc.edu 2017 MINGUS HIGH SCHOOL COMPETITION FINALISTS The finalists (in alphabetical order by school) are: BIG BAND CATEGORY Boston Latin High School Big Band, Boston, MA. Band Director: Paul J. Pitts Lexington High School Jazz Ensemble, Lexington, MA. Band Director: Patrick Donaher Medfield High School Jazz Band, Medfield, MA. Band Director: Douglas Olsen COMBO CATEGORY Berkeley High School Combo A, Berkeley, Ca. Band Director: Sarah Cline Newark Academy Combo, Livingston, NJ. Band Director: Julius Tolentino Rio Americano High School Jazz Combo, Sacramento, CA. Band Director: Max Keisner BIG BAND CATEGORY - Specialized Schools and Programs Jazz at Lincoln Center Youth Studio Ensemble, New York, NY. Band Director: Kenny Rampton Jazz House Big Band, Jazz House Kids. Montclair, NJ. Band Director: Julius Tolentino SFJAZZ High School All Stars Big Band, San Francisco, CA. Band Director: Paul Contos COMBO CATEGORY - Specialized Schools and Program Jazz House Ambassadors, Jazz House Kids, Montclair, NJ. Band Director: Mike Lee SFJAZZ High School All Stars Combo, San Francisco, CA. Band Director: Dann Zinn Tulsa Jambassadors, Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, Tulsa, OK. Band Director: Doug Styers SCHEDULE FRIDAY, FEB 17–MONDAY, FEB 20 2017 Festival Performances at the Jazz Standard 116 E. 27th Street (Between Park & Lexington) MINGUS BIG BAND FEB 17–18 FRI–SAT 7:30 PM, 9:30 PM, 11:30 PM ($30/$15 students) FEB 19 SUN 7:30 PM, 9:30 PM ($25/$12.50 students) Outstanding Soloist Winners will be invited to sit in with the band on Sunday. MINGUS ORCHESTRA FEB 20 MON 7:30 PM, 9:30 PM ($25/$12.50 students) http://jazzstandard.com SATURDAY, FEB 18 FULL DAY OF CLINICS, MASTER CLASSES, AND JAM SESSIONS for student finalists only. Film clips and performance by Mingus Dynasty – free and open to the public. Manhattan School of Music 122nd Street and Broadway http://www.msmnyc.edu 12 PM Mingus Film Clips 12:30 PM Mingus Dynasty Performance Abraham Burton (Alto Saxophone), Brandon Write (Tenor Saxophone), Philip Harper (Trumpet), Frank Lacy (Trombone), David Kikoski (Piano), Mike Richmond (Bass), Adam Cruz (Drums) Neidorff-Karpati Hall SUNDAY, FEB 19 Mingus High School COMPETITION followed by a performance by the MSM Mingus Ensemble and Awards Ceremony Manhattan School of Music NEIDORFF-KARPATI HALL 122nd Street at Broadway Free and open to the public Combo adjudicators: Abraham Burton, Frank Lacy, Mike Richmond Big Band adjudicators: Conrad Herwig, Andy Mckee, Alex Norris 9:30 AM Regular Combo 11:15 AM Specialized Combo 1:45 PM Regular Big Band 3:30 PM Specialized Big Band 5:15 PM MSM Mingus Ensemble, Directed by Frank Lacy 5:45 PM Award Ceremony Presented by Sue Mingus and MSM Jazz Arts ABOUT THE MINGUS BIG BAND Charles Mingus's compositions retain the soulful feel of gospel music and the blues while containing elements of free jazz, bop, and classical music. The 14-piece Mingus Big Band celebrates Mingus, under the artistic direction of Sue Mingus. The Mingus Big Band plays regularly at the Jazz Standard in New York City and tours extensively in the United States and abroad; it has 11 recordings, six of which have been nominated for Grammy Awards. ABOUT "LET MY CHILDREN HEAR MUSIC"/ THE CHARLES MINGUS INSTITUTE: Founded in 1986 by Sue Mingus, "Let My Children Hear Music" is devoted to promoting the legacy of composer Charles Mingus through performance, education, publishing and archives. For more information visit: mingusmingusmingus.com . About MANHATTAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC Founded as a settlement music school by Janet Daniels Schenck in 1918, today Manhattan School of Music is recognized for its 950 superbly talented undergraduate and graduate students who come from more than 60 countries and nearly all 50 states; a world-renowned artist-teacher faculty; and innovative curricula. The School is dedicated to the personal, artistic, and intellectual development of aspiring musicians, from its Precollege students through those pursuing postgraduate studies. Offering both classical and jazz training – and, beginning in fall 2016, a Bachelor's degree program in musical theater – MSM grants Bachelor of Music, Master of Music, and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees, as well as the Professional Studies Certificate and Artist Diploma. Additionally, true to MSM's origins as a music school for children, the Precollege program continues to offer superior music instruction to young musicians between the ages of five and 18. The School also serves some 2, 000 New York City schoolchildren through its Arts-in-Education Program, and another 2, 000 students through its critically acclaimed Distance Learning Program. write your comments about the article :: © 2017 Jazz News :: home page |