A grand celebration of the arts in a town that labels itself the “heart of the arts” — the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival has been a staple of the University of Idaho tradition since its inception in 1967.
And though attendance numbers and financial struggles have made the festival a sliver of what it once was, we as students, professors, administrators and Moscow residents, ought to appreciate this brief annual gem.
The 2014 Jazz Festival started Wednesday with performances from Grace Kelly, Ken Peplowski and the legendary Benny Golson, and will be parting ways with UI following Eddie Palmieri’s main stage performance Saturday evening with his Latin Jazz Septet.
In between, the festival encapsulates every aspect of the art of jazz, making for a memorable four-day experience for enthusiasts of all ages. And contrary to those who bane in the event’s existence, it offers far more than parking problems and crowded buildings to Moscow.
Sure, the floodgates open when the first middle-school buses arrive, causing a chaotic scene everywhere around the Student Union Building and VandalStore, to the Idaho Commons and Kibbie Dome. Students don’t have the same privacy while studying on the second floor of the SUB that they would on a normal week, while the men’s and women’s tennis teams are pushed out of their indoor practice facility and forced to train elsewhere.
In the grand scheme of things, these are minor sacrifices the UI community makes so aspiring musicians of all ages can meet, play with and learn from their idols.
We’re sharing our campus with middle school and high school students who have an opportunity to break out of the stresses and routine of teenage life and partake in something they are passionate about.
Jazz Fest concerts feature top musical acts from around the world, and should be an event every UI student experiences.
Jazz Fest also offers a variety of workshops that are not just for the musically inclined. There are multiple dance workshops on a range of dance genres from swing dance to Latin salsa.
For that, we should be accepting and grateful that this internationally renowned festival is still a mainstay on our campus and in Moscow — where coffee shops, restaurants and hotels thrive from the additional business.
So if just for a moment, act as a welcoming representative of the university when approached by visiting students, parents or concert attendees.
Even with some elite jazz musicians on hand, the simple gestures are the memories that will stick out ahead of the rest.
— TL