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DIVA Jazz Orchestra headlines annual Jazz Festival at MU
Festival events, sponsored by MU’s Department of Music, will take place in the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center. Tickets may be purchased at the center’s box office, or by calling (304) 696-2787. Dr. Ed Bingham, director of jazz studies at Marshall, said the Jazz Festival has been an important part of West Virginia’s artistic community since its beginning in 1970. “It attracts nationally recognized artists and supports the MU Jazz Studies Program in its efforts to educate students, to entertain the public and to preserve the rich heritage of jazz,” Bingham said. Artists who have performed at Marshall and with the MU Jazz Ensemble comprise a veritable “Who’s Who” among important jazz musicians, Bingham said. Included among them are Joe Farrell, Phil Wilson, Clark Terry, Gary Burton, Rich Matteson, Art Pepper, Jamey Aebersold, Maynard Ferguson and Orchestra, Stan Kenton and Orchestra, Woody Herman and the Thundering Herd, Herbie Mann, Gary Burton, Ed Soph, Dominic Spera, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra with Buddy Morrow, the Count Basie Orchestra, Bob Thompson, Mike Vax, Chris Vadala, Bill Watrous, Eddie Daniels, Oliver Nelson, Dave Valentin, Alvin Batiste, Terry Gibbs, Denis DeBlasio, Conrad Herwig, James Dapogny, Louis Bellson, Arturo Sandoval, The Columbus Jazz Orchestra, Paquite D’Rivera and the Dizzy Gillespie All Stars. Sherrie Maricle and the DIVA Jazz Orchestra are based in New York City and play contemporary, mainstream big band jazz composed and arranged by band members and other renowned writers including Tommy Newsom, Ellen Rowe, Rich Shemaria, and Scott Whitfield. DIVA’s special sound is a result of its repertoire being composed expressly for the individual personalities of the musicians themselves. What audiences can expect to hear is powerful ensemble playing and creative soloists playing with all the spontaneity, originality and finesse of the jazz masters who have preceded them, Bingham said. DIVA was founded by Stanley Kay, a former manager and relief drummer for the Buddy Rich Big Band. In 1990, Kay was conducting a band where Maricle was playing drums. Impressed by her skill, Kay wondered if there were other women musicians with a similar caliber of musicianship. A nationwide audition of players produced a core group of musicians who performed their first concert in March of 1993. DIVA has performed in some of the world’s most prestigious music venues, where they have received critical acclaim. Some of those venues are: Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops Orchestra at a sold-out concert; John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.; Verizon Jazz Festival at Lincoln Center in New York; Lionel Hampton Jazz Room at Le Meridien Hotel in Paris; Teatro de Sistina in Rome, Italy; Hollywood Bowl; Blue Note in New York; Harrah’s in Lake Tahoe; Berlin, Germany, Jazz Festival; and Bern, Switzerland, Jazz Festival Nancy Wilson, Joe Williams, Diane Schuur, DeeDee Bridgewater, Rosemary Clooney, Jack Jones, Clark Terry, Dr. Billy Taylor, Terry Gibbs, Tommy Newsom, and Randy Brecker have performed with DIVA in the United States and abroad. Television appearances include multiple features on CNN’s Arts Break, CBS Sunday Morning, a spotlight presentation on the Kennedy Center’s 25th anniversary special, a feature on Japanese television’s NHK network, as well as various local cable programs. Music critics all over the world have praised DIVA’s 2002 release, Live in Concert. The band’s other CDs include I Believe in You, Leave it to DIVA, and Something’s Coming. Its newest release, TNT – A Tommy Newsom Tribute, was released in September 2005. Additional contributions to the Jazz Festival include performances by Bluetrane, Marshall’s faculty jazz combo; Zanter +; the MU Jazz Ensemble with guest artist Sherrie Maricle; Bridgeport High School, and the Thundering Herd All-Stars. A recent addition to Marshall’s jazz program will make an appearance during this festival. Dr. Sean Parsons, the newly appointed professor of jazz piano, will be performing each night. Parsons will direct the Thundering Herd All-Stars and perform with Bluetrane and Zanter +. The members of Bluetrane have been busy working on their first CD. Things I’ve Herd highlights original compositions by Parsons, Zanter and Saunders and will be ready for release at the festival. In keeping with the educational mission of the MU Jazz Festival, student ensembles from across the region will perform during the event. Each group will receive feedback from members of DIVA in a concert-clinic format. Here is the complete festival schedule:
Thursday, Feb.
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Friday, Feb. 2
Saturday, Feb.
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