Newberry College Jazz Festival Features Big Band Sound
February 25, 2015
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
