The Chesterton High
School Jazz Ensemble will present their annual spring jazz concert, All That
Jazz Opus XLIV on Saturday, May 13, at 7:00 p.m., in the CHS Auditorium,
2125 S 11th St., Chesterton.
This year’s concert
marks the 44th year that noted professional musicians have been invited to
perform as guest artists. The pros serve as clinicians for the CHS Ensemble
members, rehearsing with the student musicians at length on Friday evening,
and again throughout the day on Saturday prior to the evening concert.
“Each year, the
talent that is assembled on the CHS stage for the All That Jazz event is
nothing short of amazing,” said Mike Scheiber, CHS director of Bands. “These
are not players you’d find at any hometown ‘establishment, they’re
exceptional musicians that have performed and recorded with some of the most
iconic jazz ensembles in the world. Duneland area music lovers will really
be in for a treat.”
This year’s event
will feature the Jim Widner Quintet. Members of the quintet include Bassist
Jim Widner, Trumpeter Ricardo Esquilin, Pianist Chip Stephens, Drummer Joel
Spencer, and Tenor Saxophonist Chip McNeill.
Members of the CHS
Jazz Ensemble include Keyon Allen, Trey Bonnema, Colin Campbell, Adam Davis,
Andrew Figg, David Gerth, David Hodgkiss, Mark Hodgkiss, Henry Hoham, Sam
Houghteling, David Kosakowski, Zach Lane, Anthony Langley, Zane Mauke, Kylie
Sabol, Sydney Sarver, Payton Stobbe, Rebecca White and Jacob Winland.
Tickets are
available at the door or through the CHS Music Dept. The concert will be in
the CHS Auditorium. Tickets are all $10 each. All seating is general
admission. For additional information, contact the CHS Music Office at
983-3730.
Jim Widner is the
professor and director of Jazz Studies at the University of Missouri at St.
Louis. An alumnus of the Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, and Glenn Miller big
bands, Jim is celebrating his 30th year of hosting summer jazz camps all
across the United States. As a bassist with the Stan Kenton Orchestra, Jim
was strongly influenced and motivated by Kenton’s dedication to young
student musicians. He was a faculty member of the Kenton camps for 10 years.
His performance background includes concert dates with Clark Terry, Lou
Marini, Louie Bellson, Tom ‘Bones’ Malone, Mulgrew Miller, Bucky Pizzarelli,
Wycliff Gordon, Randy Brecker, Bill Watrous, the St. Louis Symphony
Orchestra and an appearance before former President Bill Clinton.
The Jim Widner Big
Band records on the Chase Music Group label and their critically acclaimed
CD's include "Yesterdays and Today", "Body and Soul", "Live, The Jim
Widner Big Band Rides Again", "Flying High", "Out Of This World", and
"The Beat Goes On".
Ricardo Esquilin
began freelancing in Miami at the age of 15 with the NBA’s Miami HEAT
Street Band, and other local professional bands which soon allowed him
to perform abroad in many cities, including London and Paris. After
graduating from Michigan State University’s College of Music, Ricardo soon
returned to South Florida where he began arranging, writing, teaching, and
playing professionally.
Esquilin recorded
as the lead trumpet player for the VH1 original movie “Drumline: A New
Beat”. Later he performed with 19-time Grammy Award winning artist
Emilio Estefan. In 2015, he became the Assistant Director of the Miami
HEAT Street Band. Currently, Ricardo is pursuing a Master's Degree and
serves as the jazz trumpet Teaching Assistant at Florida State University,
under the Count Basie Orchestra’s director and soloist, Professor Scotty
Barnhart. Ricardo has directed the FSU Jazz Orchestra, and currently teaches
jazz history, and several ensembles, along with teaching master classes at
schools in the city of Tallahassee.