1/27/2010

Two days of music by high school students will bring more than 300 musicians to town on Thursday and Friday for the annual Hutchinson Community College Jazz Festival at the Stringer Fine Arts Center.
    
A 7:30 p.m. concert on Thursday will feature the HCC Symphonic Band under the direction of Jeff Pelischek, with the HCC Jazz Ensemble No. 1 directed by Daryl Batchelor, HCC Jazz Studies instructor, and Tom Luer, of Los Angeles, as featured guest artist on saxophone.

Luer's dossier includes appearances with Engelbert Humperdinck and Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, the only big band still selling records and making money, Batchelor said.

The public is invited to hear the visiting high school musicians - including appearances by Nickerson, Liberal, Hutchinson and McPherson High Schools - play for clinicians from 1 to 3:40 p.m. on Thursday.

Friday's schedule opens at 9:20 a.m. in the B. J. Warner Recital Hall with high school musicians from Hesston, Rock Creek, Clearwater and Newton High Jazz Ensemble No. 1.

Scheduled for Stringer Fine Arts Gallery from 8:40 a.m. through noon Friday are Burrton, Rose Hill, Trinity high schools and Newton Jazz Ensemble No. 2, and Great Bend Middle School.

Visit Luer's Web site at TomLuer.com for more about his performance schedule.

If you go What: HCC Symphonic Band and Jazz Ensemble #1 with Guest Artist Tom Luer When: 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday Where: Stringer Fine Arts Center Admission: $5.   What: Abbreviated Jazz Concert with Luer When: Noon to 1 p.m. Friday Where: Stringer Fine Arts Center Cost: none