NEWS

The Newberry College Jazz Festival, one of the oldest jazz festivals in the nation, will be held Saturday, March 7, in Wiles Chapel. The festival is run in conjunction with the South Carolina Band Directors Association (SCBDA) and will feature the Newberry College Jazz Big Band, two high school All-State Jazz Bands. Outstanding high school musicians from across South Carolina were chosen through competitive audition to fill the big band instrumentation of these two All-State Jazz Bands.

The festival also will feature guest artist Al Chez. Chez is the leader of Al Chez and The Brothers of Funk Big Band and is well known for his work as the trumpet player for Paul Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra on The Late Show with David Letterman.

Featured Performances at Wiles Chapel

11:30 a.m.All-State Jazz Band 1Bill King, Director

12:15 p.m.All-State Jazz Band 2Dr. Ira Wiggins, Director

1:00 p.m.Newberry College Jazz Big BandDr. Jerry Gatch, Director

Featuring guest artist and trumpeter, Al Chez

All-State Jazz Band Chairs

The following students earned a chair position in one of the SC All-State Jazz Bands:

All-State Jazz Band Chairs

The following students earned a chair position in one of the SC All-State Jazz Bands:

Olivia Barker, Dreher HSJosh Barua, Wade Hampton HS (Greenville)

Will Basco, Wando HSMiller Boone, Goose Creek HS

Matthew Boyle, Charleston School of the Arts HS

Derrick Burbage, Wando HS

Wie-Ning Chen, Daniel HSCameron Clamp, Aiken HS

Kyle Collins, Wando HSThomas Drummond, Ridgeview High School

Ben Eidsen, Dreher HSDrew Gatch, Lexington HS

Alvin Gawai, Lexington HSZachary Gilbert, Charleston School of the Arts HS

Robert Hample, Charleston School of the Arts HS

Samuel Hill, SC Governors School for the Arts & Humanities

Jared Imholz, Wando HSJesse Jiang, Daniel HS

Tim Kasper, Wando HSTim Khayat, Wando HS

Tyler King, Sumter HSConnor Kirk, Fort Mill HS

Blake Lawson, A.C. Flora HSJasmine Lockwood, Charleston School of the Arts HS

Alex Manno, Fort Mill HSLogan McCallum, Daniel HS

Chris McGraw, St. James HSRobert Meese, SC Governors School for the Arts & Humanities

Ryan Mercado, Charleston School of the Arts HS

Isaac Parks, AAA Band

Eme Rhoden, Stratford HSJohn David Rinehart, Northwestern HS

Joseph Roddey, Charleston School of the Arts HS

Patrick Scott, Sumter HS

Sebastian Strevens, Irmo HSCasey Sudduth, Daniel HS

Justin Trout, SC Governors School for the Arts & Humanities

Jake Wastler, Socastee HSXavier Wright, Charleston School of the Arts HS

Ensemble Assessments

Throughout the day, beginning at 8:30 am, middle and high school jazz bands from throughout South Carolina will perform for evaluation by adjudicators in the Alumni Music Center and the Wiles Chapel Theater. These performances are for the Jazz Ensemble Performance Assessment sanctioned by the SCBDA and administered by SCBDA Jazz Committee Chair, Mr. Mark Yost, Director of Bands at Northwestern High School in Rock Hill.

Participating Middle and High Schools

The following schools will be participating in the Jazz Ensemble Performance Assessment:

A.C. Flora High SchoolCamden Middle School

Chapin High SchoolCharleston School of the Arts

Crayton Middle SchoolEasley High School

Edgewood Middle SchoolGaffney High School

Gilbert High SchoolGoose Creek High School

Granard Middle SchoolHartsville High School

Honea Path Middle SchoolIrmo High School

Liberty High SchoolMarlboro School of Discovery

Newberry Middle SchoolNorthwestern High School

Orangeburg Wilkinson High School

Pelion High School

Pickens High SchoolSocastee High School

Spartanburg Day Middle School

Spartanburg Day Upper School

Strom Thurmond High SchoolSumter High School

Swansea High SchoolT.L Hanna High School

Wando High SchoolWest Florence High School

West-Oak High SchoolWestside High School

York High School