By JUDD WEIL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Community College (HutchCC) Instrumental Jazz and Vocal Jazz ensembles are on their way to perform at the UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival in Colorado, and in preparation the community is invited for a Jazz Sendoff at the Stringer Fine Arts Center on April 18.
Between the Instrumental Jazz and Vocal Jazz ensembles, 22 students will be attending the UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival from April 20 to April 22.
“There’s about 250 plus ensembles that perform over the course of the three days,” Greg Weis, HutchCC Instructor of Music and Jazz Program Coordinator, said. “Those are vocal jazz groups, big bands, combos, and they arrange from middle school groups to high school to college ensembles like ours.”
The UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival is one of the premier jazz festivals in the U.S.
“We get to work with some really phenomenal clinicians afterwards,” Weis said. “We’ll do our performance; they’ll give us some feedback privately in a room off to our own, and those are often some of the top musicians and top jazz professors from around the country that end up coming for that.”
The HutchCC Vocal Jazz ensemble will perform on Thursday, April 20, directed by Neal Allsup. The HutchCC Instrumental Jazz ensemble will perform on Saturday, April 22, directed by Greg Weis.
The instrumental ensemble will be performing four pieces, with selections by jazz legends Miles Davis and Thad Jones, as well as a modern piece composed by a Denver pianist. The modern piece, Jelly Beach, will feature a hip-hop and jazz blend.
The Instrumental Jazz and Vocal Jazz ensembles will be performing their festival pieces at the Jazz Sendoff on April 18 before they leave for the festival on April 20. The Jazz Sendoff will feature performances by the combos section too.
Weis sees the HutchCC jazz ensemble's journey to UNC/Greeley as a chance for the group to grow.
“We’re going there to perform, gain some experience, and then learn some stuff from clinicians and check out what the rest of the country sounds like,” Weis said.
Weis said this trip is important for his students to see what jazz programs look like at other colleges across the U.S., especially when it comes time to transfer from HutchCC.
He believes in building stronger performers by having his students play in front of audiences they really do not know.
The Jazz Sendoff will take place at the B.J. Warner Recital Hall in the Stringer Fine Arts Center located at 600 E. 11th St. in Hutchinson at 7 p.m. April 18.
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