This weekend, six of Community High School’s jazz combos will be attending the 31st Annual Western Michigan Jazz Festival in Kalamazoo.  It is an all-day event filled with playing, listening, and learning about the art of jazz.

The Western Michigan Jazz Festival is an annual event where high school big bands and combos perform their material and receive written and recorded comments from WMU jazz faculty.  It is also a tradition at the festival to host a famous guest artist every year.  This year, the festival will feature The Cleveland Jazz All-Stars.

“The Western Michigan Jazz Festival was a terrific experience [last year] because everyone is there through their shared love of jazz,” said Ryan Shea, a junior guitarist/bassist in Community Jazz.  “The professionals were helpful and knowledgeable and the other musicians were all as excited as I was.”

The event begins early in the morning, with performances by high school groups.  As the day progresses, students may also attend workshops and performances by other high schools.  At 7:30 p.m., there will be a concert event in the Dalton Center Recital Hall, featuring the guest artist, the University Jazz Orchestra, and outstanding high school groups selected by the faculty earlier in the day.  Admission to the concert is $10.

All of Community’s combos are set to play early in the morning.  The Transitions combo will be first to take the stage, followed by Fo Mo, The Roaring Plenties, Standard Deviation, BlueTruth, and finally Maximum Will.  Each of the bands will have 20 minutes to play a few songs for the judges.

Students who attended the festival last year are hoping for an even better experience this time around.  “Mixed performance in the previous year makes me apprehensive for the upcoming recitals,” said Paul Smith, a senior piano player in BlueTruth.  “However, I have complete confidence and the utmost respect for every member of the Community High Jazz Bands, and I’m positive we’ll all do well.”

For some students, like Adlai Reinhart, a freshman trumpet player in The Roaring Plenties, this will be their first experience at the festival.  “While I’m not really looking forward to the early hour thing, the prospect of a day of really great music makes it worth while,” Reinhart said.

Just as the WMU Jazz Festival is a tradition for WMU, it is also a tradition for Community High School Jazz.  Hopefully the program’s continued success and quality performance will continue into this year’s festival, and for many years and festivals to come.