What do you get when you mix everyone from middle schoolers to jazz professionals all on the stage, swinging together?
You get “United We Swing!,” a delightful romp through jazz history highlighting the Tri-C JazzFest’s year-around jazz programming.
Showcasing students in the Tri-C JazzFest High School All-Stars, along with a few alums who have moved on to the Tri-C jazz program and even onto the professional stage, this concert featured a lot of Duke Ellington and a lot of student talent.
After intermission, Ernie Krivda’s Fat Tuesday Big Band entertained in a big way with trumpeter Dominick Farinacci sitting in. Chicago trumpeter Pharez Whitted and Sean Jones, artistic director of the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra found themselves in a bit of a delicious duel, and oh-so-sexy Farinacci managed to get the equally oh-so-sexy guest vocalist Charenee Wade to remove the bow tie he had donned to spruce up his stage wear. Sorry we didn’t get that on video.
Farinacci is the perfect example of what the Tri-C jazz program does best. He started with the program as a youngster of 11 years of age, continued through the program and is now enjoying a career in New York as one of the top trumpeters on the scene today. He was appointed as the Artist in Residence for Tri-C’s Tommy LiPuma Center for Creative Arts in 2012 and he returns to his alma mater often to work with students and perform concerts. This week he was doing both.
For I’m Beginning to See The Light, Farinacci sat in with the Tri-C JazzFest High School All-Stars, directed by Steve Enos. View the video here.
Take The A Train by the same players featured Mike Geisbacher on bass and some excellent ensemble playing. Watch the video here.
Saxophonist Ernie Krivda, who teaches at Tri-C and leads the Fat Tuesday Big Band, came on to work with the Tri-C Jazz Workshop, featuring Tri-C students Jessica Yafanaro on vocals, Brent Hamaker on guitar, Mike Gaisbacher on bass and Chris Bechtol on drums for a medley of Frank Loesser’s Never Will I Marry, and Krivda’s own Questions. The video can be viewed here.
BTW, tickets are now available for this year’s Tri-C JazzFest, which features two packed weekends of jazz giants Fri 4/19 – 4/27.
Let’s hope they keep the jazz swinging all year long.
http://www.tri-c.edu/enrichment/arts/jazzfest/Pages/default.aspx