Jazz fest will star saxophone legend Pete Christlieb

christlieb medium

Pete Christlieb

Northwest’s Department of Music and the Upsilon Chi chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, an honorary music society, will host the annual Northwest Jazz Festival Saturday, March 8, on the University campus.

Highlights will include a noon performance by the Northwest Jazz Ensemble in Charles Johnson Theater and a 5 p.m. concert in the Performing Arts Center by the Boulevard Big Band of Kansas City featuring well-known tenor saxophonist Pete Christlieb (www.petechristlieb.com). Both shows are free and open to the public.

A veteran session player whose saxophone is frequently heard on television and motion picture soundtracks, Christlieb enrolled in the “Greyhound school of music” as a teenager and learned his craft under such bandleaders as Si Zentner, Woody Herman, Louis Bellson and the legendary Count Basie. His recording credits include a number of “Star Trek” television episodes and work as a featured soloist on Natalie Cole’s hit CD, “Unforgettable.”

“The Boulevard Big Band is one of the finest big bands in the Midwest, and we are very proud to feature them with jazz saxophonist Pete Christlieb at this year’s Northwest Jazz Festival,” said Dr. William Richardson, associate professor of music at Northwest. “It is my hope that the Maryville community will take advantage of this unique opportunity to hear some fantastic jazz music.”

The Northwest Jazz Festival will also feature 18 high school and middle school jazz ensembles and combos. These groups will perform in Charles Johnson Theater and the Performing Arts Center between 8:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Clinics for each instrument (saxophone, trombone, trumpet, piano, guitar, drums, and bass) will take place in the Olive DeLuce Fine Arts Building from 1 to 2 p.m.

Charles Johnson Theater is located on the first floor of the Olive DeLuce Fine Arts Building across College Avenue (Fourth Street) from Bearcat Arena. The Performing Arts Center is located a block further west near the intersection of College Avenue and College Park Drive. Parking lots and limited on-street parking are available near both facilities.

This year’s festival is supported by a Northwest Culture of Quality grant, Bosphorus Cymbals, the Department of Music, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. For more information, call Richardson at 660.562.1316 (ext. 1316 on campus).

For more information about opportunities for music study at Northwest, go to the Department of Music Web page at www.nwmissouri.edu/dept/music.

Schedule of Events – 2008 Northwest Jazz Festival

Charles Johnson Theater (Olive DeLuce Fine Arts Building)

8:45 a.m.     Maryville High School Jazz Ensemble
9:15 a.m.     Clarinda High School Jazz Ensemble
9:45 a.m.     Holden High School Jazz Band
10:15 a.m. Delta Woods Middle School
10:45 a.m.   Moreland Ridge Middle School Jazz Band
Noon             Northwest Jazz Ensemble Concert
1 p.m.         Instrumental Clinics (Fine Arts Building)
2:30 p.m.     Benton High School Jazz Band
3 p.m.         Pleasant Hill High School Jazz Ensemble
3:30 p.m.     Excelsior Springs High School Jazz Ensemble
4 p.m.         Platte County High School Jazz Ensemble

Performing Arts Center

8:45 a.m.      South Harrison Jazz Ensemble
9:15 a.m.      Central High School Jazz Combo
9:45 a.m.      Oak Park High School Jazz Combo
10:15 a.m.    South Harrison Jazz Combo II
10:45 a.m.    Liberty High School Jazz Combo
11:15 a.m.    South Harrison Jazz Combo I
1 p.m.          Instrumental Clinics (Fine Arts Building)
2:15 p.m.      Central High School Jazz Ensemble
2:45 p.m.      Oak Park High School Jazz Ensemble
3:15 p.m.      Liberty High School Jazz Ensemble
5 p.m.           Boulevard Big Band/Pete Christlieb, Performing Arts Center

For more information, please contact:

Anthony Brown,
News Bureau Manager
E-Mail: abrown@nwmissouri.edu
Phone: 660.562.1704
Fax: 660.562.1900

Northwest Missouri State University
219 Administration Building,
800 University Drive
Maryville, MO 64468

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