
The Middle Tennessee State University – Illinois Jacquet Jazz Festival is presented with the support of the Illinois Jacquet Foundation, created to honor the memory of Illinois Jacquet, the great tenor saxophonist and bandleader who came to fame with the Count Basie and Lionel Hampton orchestras of the 1940s. Jazz students and youth around the Nashville area are presented with a great opportunity to explore jazz or improve their skills. The clinics offer individual focus, with sessions on improvisation, small groups, master classes with our faculty and guest artists, and a concert by participants in the late afternoon led by our faculty.
Our featured guest artists are:
- Grammy Award winning drummer JEFF “TAIN” WATTS, one of the trend-setters in contemporary jazz (http://www.tainish.com/home—2.html ) Headline concert, Saturday, March 16th, 7:30 p.m., Hinton Hall
- Saxophonist Larry Panella, Director of Jazz Studies, University of Southern Mississippi (https://www.usm.edu/music/faculty/lawrence-m-panella), with MTSU jazz faculty, Thursday, March 14th, 7:30 p.m., Hinton Hall, Friday a.m. saxophone masterclass.
- Nashville trombonist Roland Barber, special combo coach (www.rolandbarber.com )
Registration is at this site: http://www.mtsu.edu/music/jazzfest.php . The registration deadline is Monday, March 11.