Chesterton Tribune

 

 

CHS to host 44th annual All That Jazz Saturday

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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.

 

 

Posted 5/9/2017

 
 
 
 

 

 

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