The Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival is not just about the music – it is also about showcasing the community.
Steven Remington, festival executive director, said the festival theme for 2016, “Jazz Pathways to Discovery,” refers to the stakeholders of the festival and how the community comes together to create a valuable experience for the students and band directors.
“There”s this opportunity for the students when they come here to discover more than just something about themselves, which is to say their creativity and their hard work is rewarded with these wonderful performances, but they also learn something about their peers, the other students,” Remington said.
The 49th annual Jazz Fest kicks off Feb. 24 with performances from the All-Star Quartet and UI”s Lionel Hampton School of Music Jazz Band I, directed by music professor Vern Sielert.
The All-Star Quartet is also the house rhythm section for the festival, deployed to play with other artists throughout the week. Josh Nelson is an award winning pianist known for performing with many well-known jazz musicians like Natalie Cole. Katie Thiroux will be on base for the All Stars, but is also a semifinalist for the Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Vocals Competition.
For the opening festival performance, Cuban drummer Ignacio Berroa will play with the All Star Quartet. Remington said Berroa was the last drummer to play with Dizzy Gillespie”s band and is a well-known Argo-Cuban drummer.
Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival | Courtesy photo
The Cherry Poppin” Daddies will perform Saturday Feb. 27 during Jazz Fest week.
“(Berroa) kind of pioneered the whole salsa sound when it was sort of being invented in New York back in the “40s and “50s,” Remington said.
Berroa will also perform with Jazz Band I, along with vocalist Dee Daniels, who Remington said has returned to the jazz festival about 20 times.
The festival will continue Thursday night featuring the Justin Kauflin Trio, followed by Berroa with his own quartet and then Daniels with her quartet.
Remington said Kauflin started playing the violin at 4 years old before beginning to play jazz piano in his teens.
Kauflin recently filmed a documentary called “Keep on keepin” On,” a movie that details his relationship with legendary trumpeter Clark Terry. The film will also be shown during the week, followed by a Q&A session with Kauflin.
Friday night will feature the Monty Alexander Trio followed by Tower of Power.
Remington said Tower of Power is known for having the tightest horn section of any popular band in the last 40 years. He said they play 200 dates a year and are one of the hardest working bands, with hits like “What is Hip,” and “You”re Still a Young Man.”
Alexander, a well-known jazz pianist, has performed with legendary artists, such as Dizzy Gillespie and Frank Sinatra.
“He is a remarkable musician who really embodies the Afro-Caribbean styles like reggae and jazz,” Remington said.
On the final night, the Lionel Hampton Big Band will open with special guests Warren Wolf, known for his work with the San Francisco Jazz Collective, and Barbara Morrison, a blues and jazz singer with “incredible depth and sass,”
Remington said.
“She”s the real deal,” he said. “Some people have superpowers, and she is one of them.”
The festival will commence with a performance by Cherry Poppin” Daddies, famously known for the song, “Zoot Suit Riot.” The band plays a variety of music, but Remington said it has strong roots in jazz and swing.
“I think it is a great lineup,” Remington said. “It encompasses bands who have had top 40 hits, which you don”t get a lot of at a jazz festival.”
Mary Malone can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @InkSlasherEdit