“The past couple of years have been tough on musicians and music educators,” said Jeff Wolfe, director of jazz studies at Marshall. “The festival, which is one of the oldest of its kind in the country, signifies a rebirth and a celebration of those who have persevered through this pandemic by keeping the music alive. Jazz by its very nature is triumphant music, which is a reflection of those who create, play and teach it to the next generation.”
A hallmark of the Winter Jazz Festival is the appearance of a guest artist who performs with Marshall University jazz ensemble members. This year’s guest artist is saxophonist Pete Mills. Mills’ group, the Pete Mills B3 4tet, is the featured ensemble during the Friday, Feb. 11, concert in Smith Recital Hall, which kicks off at 6 p.m. Mills will perform again with MU Jazz Ensemble I at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12, also in Smith Recital Hall.
The festival also features performances by the Jewel City Jazz Orchestra, MU Jazz Combo I, and regional high school and middle school jazz ensembles who will perform throughout the day on Feb. 11-12.
Sponsored by the School of Music in the College of Arts and Media, the festival performances are free and open to all. Masks are required indoors on the Marshall University campus. Concerts will also be livestreamed on the MU School of Music YouTube channel.
For more information, visit www.marshall.edu/music/jazz.