The Project H to headline annual Northwest Jazz Festival

The Northwest Jazz Ensemble (pictured above) will perform at the Northwest Jazz Festival Feb. 21 along with Kansas City-based instrumental group The Project H. (Photo by Todd Weddle/Northwest Missouri State University)

The Project H – a seven-piece instrumental group that has become one of the most recognizable acts in the Kansas City music scene – will be the featured guest as Northwest Missouri State University hosts jazz performers from 33 middle schools and high schools during its annual Northwest Jazz Festival.

Festival performances begin at 8:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 21, and continue throughout the day in the Charles Johnson Theater at the Olive DeLuce Fine Arts Building and the Mary Linn Auditorium at the Ron Houston Center for the Performing arts as well as the Lee and Nina Schneider Performing Arts Center at Maryville High School.

The performances, which are free and open to the public, culminate with The Project H at 5 p.m. in Charles Johnson Theater. Additionally, the Northwest Jazz Ensemble performs at noon in Charles Johnson Theater, and The Project H will lead master classes at 12:45 p.m. in the Fine Arts Building.

Formed in 2007, The Project H has shared the stage with Snarky Puppy, The Bad Plus, The Rebirth Brass Band, Here Come the Mummies and the Mark Lettieri Trio. Their style of crossover jazz has landed them appearances at regional festivals such as The Middle of the Map Festival, Boulevardia, the Plaza Art Fair, Porchfest and the Prairie Village Jazz Festival. The ensemble has played opening day and playoff games for the Kansas City Royals.

Their music also has taken them to Austin, Texas, where they have participated in Nextbop’s Jazz for the Masses at the South by SouthWest music festival and the Midcoast Takeover. In 2014, The Project H won the Pitch Music Award for “Best Jazz Ensemble.”

Their 2014 record, “We Live Among the Lines,” was named the second-best Kansas City release of any genre by The Deli magazine, and their fourth record of original music, “Everyday, Forever,” reached No. 7 on iTunes in March 2018.

The Project H and the Northwest Jazz Festival received financial support from the Missouri Arts Council, the Northwest College of Arts and Sciences Guest Artist Series, and the Dennis C. Dau Endowed Professorship in Instrumental Music.

A complete schedule of ensembles and jazz combos performing at the Northwest Jazz Festival is provided below. Large jazz ensembles and jazz combos from schools in Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska will perform in 25-minute time slots. Each jazz ensemble performs for three adjudicators who provide comments and assign ratings in addition to working with each group on stage after their performance.

Olive DeLuce Fine Arts Building

• 8:30 a.m. – Central High School Jazz Combo 2
• 8:55 a.m. – Central High School Jazz Combo 1
• 9:20 a.m. – Park Hill High School Jazz Combo 1
• 9:45 a.m. – Grandview High School Jazz Combo
• 10:10 a.m. – Grandview High School Jazz Ensemble
• 10:40 a.m. – Rock Bridge High School Jazz Combo
• 11:05 a.m. – Rock Bridge High School Green and Gold Jazz Combo
• Noon – Northwest Jazz Ensemble
• 1:45 p.m. – Central High School Jazz Lab Band
• 2:15 p.m. – Rock Bridge High School Jazz Band
• 2:45 p.m. – Liberty North High School Screaming Eagles Jazz Band II
• 3:15 p.m. – Raymore-Peculiar High School Jazz Band 2
• 5 p.m. – The Project H

Ron Houston Center for the Performing Arts

• 9 a.m. – Oak Park High School Jazz Band
• 10 a.m. – Platte County High School Jazz Ensemble
• 10:30 a.m. – Raymore-Peculiar High School Jazz Band 1
• 11 a.m. – Park Hill High School Jazz Band
• 11:30 a.m. – Belton High School Pirate Pride Jazz Ensemble
• 1:45 p.m. – Bellevue East High School Chieftain Jazz Ensemble
• 2:15 p.m. – Grandview High School Jazz Orchestra
• 2:45 p.m. – Smithville High School Jazz Ensemble
• 3:15 p.m. – Central High School Jazz Ensemble
• 3:45 p.m. – Rock Bridge High School Jazz Ensemble
• 4:15 p.m. – Liberty North High School Screaming Eagles Jazz Band

Maryville High School

• 8:30 a.m. – Maryville High School Spoofhound Jazz Ensemble
• 9:30 a.m. – South Harrison High School Jazz Band
• 10 a.m. – Auburn High School Jazz Ensemble
• 10:30 a.m. – Mid-Buchanan Middle School Jazz Band
• 11 a.m. – Platte City Middle School Jazz Ensemble
• 2 p.m. – Maryville Middle School Spoofhound Jazz Ensemble
• 2:30 p.m. – Belton Middle School Jazz Ensemble
• 3 p.m. – Grandview Middle School Jazz Ensemble
• 3:30 p.m. – Martin City Middle School Jazz Ensemble