Lower Moreland Selected to Swing Central Jazz Festival in Georgia

The Lower Moreland High School Jazz Ensemble has been selected (for the second year in a row) as one of 12 bands in the country to participate in the Swing Central Jazz Festival in Savannah, Georgia, from March 27 to March 30.

The 12 ensembles were selected by judges using an anonymous audition process.  The Jazz Ensemble will receive a clinic here at the High School in February with one of the esteemed jazz musicians from the festival.  They will then travel to Savannah, Georgia to participate in three days of clinics, workshops, concerts and performances with some of the greatest jazz musicians in the world. 

2011: Lower Moreland performs at Swing Central Jazz Festival

Twelve of the nation’s top high school jazz bands have been selected to participate in the eighth annual SWING CENTRAL JAZZ High School Jazz Band Competition & Workshop, an event produced by the Savannah Music Festival (SMF). Pianist/composer Marcus Roberts leads a group of 19 esteemed musicians/educators as the Associate Artistic Director, along with Associate Director Jim Ketch, trumpet player and Director of Jazz Studies at UNC Chapel Hill.

Participating students work with jazz masters across three days, perform in showcases on Savannah’s River Street, play in competition rounds, and attend a variety of SMF performances during their stay, which takes place from March 27 through 29, 2013. “It was difficult process to select our twelve high school bands from a very strong group of applicants. We look forward to hosting talented young musicians from as far away as California while welcoming first-time participants from the Savannah Arts Academy,” remarks Associate Artistic Director Marcus Roberts. “We will have a great group of world-class musicians working with these bands in team settings during the festival. I’m looking forward to it.”

2011: Lower Moreland selected to perform at Swing Jazz Central Festival

In 2013, the nationally recognized SWING CENTRAL JAZZ program features the following bands going head-to-head for $13,000 in cash awards:

Agoura High School Studio Jazz Band from Agoura High School (Agoura Hills, CA)

• Agoura High School Jazz “A” from Agoura High School (Agoura Hills, CA)
• Charleston School of the Arts Jazz from Charleston School of the Arts (Charleston, SC)
• Camden Creative Arts Jazz Band from Creative Arts Morgan Village Academy (Camden, NJ)
• Denver School of the Arts Jazz Workshop Orchestra from Denver School of the Arts (Denver, CO)
• Downers Grove South High School Jazz Ensemble from Downers Grove South High School (Downers Grove, IL)
• Grissom High School “A” Jazz Band from Grissom High School (Huntsville, AL)
• Lower Moreland High School Jazz Ensemble from Lower Moreland High School (Huntingdon Valley, PA)
• Overton High School Blue Jazz Ensemble from Overton High School (Memphis, TN)
• Savannah Arts Academy Jazz Band One from Savannah Arts Academy (Savannah, GA)
• Tarpon Springs High School Jazz Ensemble I from Tarpon Springs High School (Tarpon Springs, FL)
• The Lovett School Jazz Ensemble from The Lovett School (Atlanta, GA)

The 2013 SWING CENTRAL JAZZ clinician team includes:

Trumpets
Jim Ketch
Marcus Printup
Terell Stafford

Saxophones
Bill Kennedy
Stephen Riley
Jack Wilkins

Trombones
Wycliffe Gordon
Ron Westray
Paul McKee

Guitar
Dave Stryker

Drums
Jason Marsalis
Leon Anderson
Herlin Riley

Bass
Carlos Henriquez
Rodney Jordan
Rodney Whitaker

Piano
Marcus Roberts
Aaron Diehl
Dan Nimmer
Bill Peterson

As part of SWING CENTRAL JAZZ, each participating band receives a visit from a clinician in February to help them prepare for the event. On March 28, all bands perform in public showcases at Rousakis Plaza on River Street. On March 29, select combos perform on Reynolds Square. Competition rounds take place all day on March 29 at the Lucas Theatre for the Arts, and are webcasted for family and friends who aren’t able to make the trip to Savannah. Each band plays three selections: “Billie’s Bounce” composed by Charlie Parker and arr. by clinician Paul McKee, “Such Sweet Thunder” composed by Duke Ellington and arr. by Billy Strayhorn and “Oh!” composed and arr. by Ernie Watkins.

The three top-scoring bands each receive an honorarium and vie for the coveted Faircloth Award ($5000 for first, $2500 for second and $1000 for third place) and perform the opening set at the SMF production “Saxophone Summit” (featuring Ted Nash, Charles McPherson, Walter Blanding, Joe Temperley and many others) at 7:00 p.m. that night. Other competitors receive a $500 travel stipend. SWING CENTRAL JAZZ is sponsored by Wet Willie’s Management Corp. and Bob & Jean Faircloth, and in part by Garibaldi’s Café. Additional support for finale concert is by Rus & Jan Boekenheide and Georgia Public Broadcasting, and is also shared by Mr. & Mrs. W. Mack Webner.

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ABOUT SAVANNAH MUSIC FESTIVAL

The Savannah Music Festival presents a world-class celebration of the musical arts by creating timeless and adventurous productions that stimulate arts education, foster economic growth, and unite artists and audiences in Savannah, Georgia. The 2013 festival runs from March 20 through April 6, including more than 100 performances of world-class jazz, classical, blues, bluegrass, gospel and other genres of American and international roots music in intimate venues throughout the historic district of Savannah. For more information, visit http://www.savannahmusicfestival.org.