Free and open to the public, the 2015 Arkansas Jazz Festival is scheduled to take place on two days (Friday, 24 April and Saturday, 25 April) at two sites (the gazebo on Front Street in Dardanelle and the east lawn of the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock). This fifth annual festival (presented by the Arkansas Jazz Educators Association) features performances (at one-hour intervals) by jazz bands from colleges, high schools, and junior high/middle schools. Also included are two Saturday concerts (12 p.m. in Dardanelle, 6 p.m. in Little Rock) by internationally renowned saxophonist Lou Marini (blueloumarini.com) with the University of Arkansas at Monticello's award-winning jazz band (directed by Gary Meggs). Complete festival details (with performance schedules for both days and both sites) are provided in a public, shareable Facebook invitation pinned to the top of the Arkansas Jazz Heritage Foundation's Facebook page. ...
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Free and open to the public, the 2015 Arkansas Jazz Festival is scheduled to take place on two days (Friday, 24 April and Saturday, 25 April) at two sites (the gazebo on Front Street in Dardanelle and the east lawn of the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock). This fifth annual festival (presented by the Arkansas Jazz Educators Association) features performances (at one-hour intervals) by jazz bands from colleges, high schools, and junior high/middle schools. Also included are two Saturday concerts (12 p.m. in Dardanelle, 6 p.m. in Little Rock) by internationally renowned saxophonist Lou Marini (blueloumarini.com) with the University of Arkansas at Monticello's award-winning jazz band (directed by Gary Meggs). Complete festival details (with performance schedules for both days and both sites) are provided in a public, shareable Facebook invitation pinned to the top of the Arkansas Jazz Heritage Foundation's Facebook page.
LITTLE ROCK PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE (east lawn of Clinton Presidential Center, clintonpresidentialcenter.org) ON SATURDAY, 25 APRIL 2015: Little Rock Central HS Jazz Band I (9 am), University of Arkansas at Little Rock (10 am), El Dorado HS (11 am), Arkansas Tech University (12 pm), Jonesboro HS (1 pm), Texarkana - Grade 8 (2 pm), University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (3 pm), Pea Ridge HS (4 pm), Texas HS (5 pm), LOU MARINI with University of Arkansas at Monticello (6 pm)
REFER TO SEPARATE JAZZ NEAR YOU ENTRIES FOR PERFORMANCES IN DARDANELLE AND ON FRIDAY, 24 APRIL 2015.
Questions about the festival should be directed to Clay Hooten ([email protected] / 479.229.4655, Ext. 54), who serves as president for the Arkansas Jazz Educators Association (ARJE, arjazzed.org), an affiliate of the Jazz Education Network (jazzednet.org), one of the Smithsonian's collaborators on Jazz Appreciation Month (April), for which resources are provided at smithsonianjazz.org. Donations to offset festival expenses should be made payable to "Arkansas Jazz Educators" and mailed to ARJE Treasurer Robin Ratliff, 2300 Prince Street, Conway, AR 72034.
AJHF/ARJE MEET-AND-GREET AFTER FESTIVAL: There will be an adults-only meet-and-greet with Lou Marini after the festival at the Capital Bar and Grill (inside the historic Capital Hotel at 111 West Markham Street, less than a mile west of the Clinton Presidential Center), where fine jazz is provided by guitarist Ted Ludwig, percussionist Brian Brown, and bassist Joe Vick (2014 Arkansas Jazz Hall of Fame inductee). Details, photos, and a local map for the Capital Bar and Grill - The Capital Hotel are provided under "Venues" at jazznearyou.com. Questions about the meet-and-greet should be directed to Alita Mantels (501.661.1604, [email protected]), Secretary for the Arkansas Jazz Heritage Foundation/Arkansas Jazz Hall of Fame (arjazz.org).
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