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The past, present and future of jazz will come together in Weigel Auditorium today.
The 31st Annual OSU Jazz Festival begins today and will continue through Sunday. As it has in previous years, the festival will highlight the talent of Ohio State student musicians, as well as high school students from across Ohio and professional local performers.
The format of the festival has not really changed, said jazz ensemble director Ted McDaniel. The only real difference from last year is the lineup of artists, which for him is the most exciting part.
“I think we have a really strong set of artists this year,” he said. “We’ve got some wonderful talent, both professionally and with students.”
On Thursday night, local jazz star Tony Monaco and his trio will kick off the festival. Known for his skill on the organ, Monaco is reminiscent of jazz great Jimmy Smith and is making a big splash across the country, McDaniel said.
“My favorite part is probably seeing Columbus musicians come in and play,” said Dan Twaddell, a senior in jazz studies and performance and electrical engineering. “People like Tony Monaco and his trio are world-class musicians.”
Friday night the festival continues with the OSU Jazz Ensemble. McDaniel said the group did not prepare any differently for the festival than they would for any other performance, with regularly scheduled rehearsals and deciding the music they would like to play.
“We just work hard and try to make music,” McDaniel said.
University students will continue to be showcased on Saturday afternoon with the OSU Jazz Lab Ensemble. Directed by Kris Keith, the jazz lab will present shows from a variety of smaller groups and combos from the music department.
Along with OSU students, jazz bands from Capital University in Columbus and Marshall University in Huntington, W. Va, are slated to perform.
For McDaniel, the student performances are some of the best. “The festival gives us a chance to showcase some of our best students. We have a lot of really talented students.”
Not only do current students get a chance to perform, but a former Buckeye will also take the stage.
Eddie Bayard, an OSU graduate, will perform on Saturday night. Originally from Jamaica, his quartet will be presenting a tribute to Ornette Coleman, who McDaniel described as an innovator during the free jazz movement of the 1950s. Described in the press release as “a guttural, virtuosic volcano of a tenor player,” McDaniel could not agree more.
“I’ve watched him grow and mature over many years,” he said. “He is an explosive sax man with a lot of energy. Sometimes we tend to take our local musicians for granted.”
The festival ends Sunday with High School Band Day. Twenty high schools will be performing in this event and be critiqued by faculty of the music department.
“We get to bring to the campus the future of jazz with these high schools,” McDaniel said.
It is a great opportunity for high school students to be exposed to college musicians and music competitions, said Twaddell, who has performed in the festival before.
With such long-standing tradition, the jazz festival has one goal: to play music that people will enjoy.
“We want to play something that will resonate inside of them, that may cause them to pat their foot, bop their head or even just smile,” McDaniel said.
Kelly McDonald can be reached at [email protected].
