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| National Jazz Competition Savannah Music Festival has selected twelve outstanding high school jazz bands from across the nation to participate in its expanded high school jazz band program, Swing Central, which takes place April 3-5, 2008. This year, the well-established three-day workshop program features some of the country's finest high school jazz bands going head-to-head for $13,000 in cash awards. “The students and I are excited about the opportunity to hear other bands that are working hard and are dedicated to the music," says New World School for the Arts Jazz and Instrumental Studies Professor, Jim Gasior. “We are thrilled with the lineup of performers and educators that will lead the clinics and workshops." Participating bands include: Agoura High School, Agoura Hills, CA Centennial High School, Roswell, GA Charleston School for the Arts, Charleston, SC Dillard School for the Arts, Ft. Lauderdale, FL Fontainebleau High School, Mandeville, LA Hoover High School, Hoover, AL New World School for the Arts, Miami, FL Overton High School, Memphis, TN South View High School, Hope Mills, NC Ware County High School, Waycross, GA Savannah Arts Academy, Savannah, GA Hilton Head Island High School, Hilton Head Island, SC Each competing band receives a visit by a SWING CENTRAL clinician (TBD) in March to help prepare them for the event. All bands perform for the public at Savannah's City Market on April 4-5. The bands also perform for a distinguished panel of jazz educators including Jeff Clayton, James Ketch, Marcus Roberts, Jason Marsalis and Jack Wilkins. Other SWING CENTRAL faculty include: Dave Stryker, Roland Guerin, Thomas Walsh, Leon Anderson, Jr., Rodney Jordan, William Peterson, Rick Simerly, Jeff Clayton, Marcus Printup and Wycliffe Gordon. Each band plays three selections: “Groove Merchant," a director's choice, and a test piece composed especially for SWING CENTRAL by jazz trombonist Wycliffe Gordon. Held in the ballroom at the Savannah Civic Center, competition rounds are free and open to the public. The three top-scoring bands each receive an honorarium ($5000 for first, $2500 for second and $1000 for third place) and perform during the opening set at the SMF production “The One and Only Wycliffe Gordon," April 5, 7:00 p.m. at the Lucas Theatre for the Arts. Other competitors receive a $500 travel stipend. At this festival-closing show, Gordon will premier an original piece commissioned by SMF. SWING CENTRAL is sponsored by Robert & Jean Faircloth, Atlanta Gas Light and Citi Trends. SWING CENTRAL is open to high school jazz bands from across the country. Committed to enhancing studies of the jazz tradition in the South, this new format fuses an established high-quality mentorship program with a youth jazz band competition of national scope. The dates for SWING CENTRAL 2009 are March 26-28. The Savannah Music Festival is Georgia's largest musical arts festival and one of the most distinctive cross-genre music festivals in the world. SMF is building a robust history on its devotion to living, vibrant musical traditions, regularly producing premieres, commissioned works and rare regional appearances by renowned artists in jazz, classical, blues, bluegrass, gospel and other styles of American and international roots music. Artists collaborate, students and master musicians intermingle, vocalists showcase their talents and communities uplift and celebrate over seventeen specially conceived days and nights. write your comments about the article :: © 2008 Jazz News :: home page |