Jazz Celebration Weekend features performances, instruction

For one weekend each fall, the Lawrence Conservatory of Music transforms into a vibrant jazz hub, hosting more than 40 events that include workshops, masterclasses, and performances. This remarkable display of music and meticulous planning, supported by a dedicated student setup crew, signals one thing: the much-loved Fred Sturm Jazz Celebration Weekend is back.

This eagerly awaited festival, running Nov. 8-9, will welcome students from more than 20 area middle and high schools, comprising 28 separate ensembles, for an immersive experience with jazz educators and performers.

The weekend includes public performances by René Marieand Experiment in Truth on Friday and the Sean Jones Quartet on Saturday. The performances are the latest in a long line of established or rising jazz performers gracing Lawrence University's stages during Jazz Celebration Weekend.

René Marie takes the stage for a Friday evening concert at Memorial Chapel.

From its inception, Jazz Celebration Weekend has had a unique flair. Founded by renowned jazz educator Fred Sturm in 1981, the festival was designed to be non-competitive and provide an inspirational boost at the start of the school year. A non-competitive festival of this sort was practically unheard of at the time. Now organized in tandem by José L. Encarnación, associate professor of music and director of jazz studies; Patricia A. Darling, instructor of music; Jillian Johnson, director of conservatory programming; and Rosie Cannizzo, director of conservatory operations, this sentiment still rings true today.

"The goal," said Darling, "is to have students learn about jazz style and improvisation and get excited about jazz music-that's the premise we've kept, and it's something we'll never change. We have a lot of students who love Jazz Weekend because they don't feel like they're under a lot of pressure to perform."

Sean Jones will perform Saturday evening in Memorial Chapel.

Sturm's innovative design rejects trophies and ratings, instead prioritizing group learning and genuine musicianship. This non-competitive model has inspired similar efforts nationwide.

The timing is also intentional: many middle and high school ensembles start their jazz programs later in the fall, so this earlier introduction gives students a strong head start.

"This environment provides an inspiration to students," Encarnaciónsaid. "They can work in ensemble workshops to strengthen group interaction skills and jazz improvisational concepts with renowned clinicians."

These clinicians, including Lawrence faculty and guest percussionist David Hagedorn, tailor custom-suited workshops for each ensemble's needs.

"The clinicians that come in are there to help the directors with what they want," Darling said. "If they want to work on improvisation, we'll focus on that, if they want to work up the charts, we'll give attention there."

Jazz requires stylistic approaches that go beyond sheet music, explained Darling. Matters of articulation, improvisation, and groove are deeply rooted into the tradition, yet require listening and mentoring to understand.

To this end, visiting students also attend afternoon masterclasses, where jazz faculty continue to demonstrate these concepts on their individual instruments. It was a natural addition.

"We decided to include them as we have enjoyed knowing more about the students, their musical passions, and aspirations," Encarnaciónsaid. "This also gives us (the jazz faculty) an opportunity to build upon their jazz skills to further develop more advanced jazz concepts."

Among these faculty efforts is a new composition by Darling, Crunch, designed to introduce students to extended jazz harmonies.

The festival will also feature Bring on the Storm, a new work by Jasper Kashou '24, a Lawrence alumnus now studying jazz composition and performance at the University of North Texas.

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This combination of pedagogy and composition lies at the heart of Sturm's legacy, along with the Conservatory's tradition of inviting professional musicians to perform evening concerts. Previous guests have included a vast array of jazz luminaries, including Dizzy Gillespie, Samara Joy, Diana Krall, Bobby McFerrin, and Cassandra Wilson.

This year's guest artists carry on that tradition. Vocalist René Marie-7:30 p.m. Friday in Memorial Chapel-has cemented her reputation as not only a singer but also a composer, arranger, theatrical performer, and teacher. Guided and tempered by powerful life lessons and rooted in jazz traditions laid down by Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, and other leading artists of past generations, she borrows various elements of folk, R&B and even classical and country to create a captivating hybrid style.

Sean Jones-7:30 p.m. Saturday in Memorial Chapel-brings an artistic vision of trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator, and activist. He turned a six-month stint with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra into an offer from Wynton Marsalis for a permanent position as lead trumpeter, a post he held from 2004 until 2010. In 2015, Jones was tapped to become a member of the SFJAZZ Collective. He has kept a core group of talented musicians together, producing and releasing eight recordings on the Mack Avenue Records; the latest is his 2017 release, Sean Jones: Live from the Jazz Bistro.

Tickets for the Memorial Chapel performances are $30/adults, $25/seniors; free for students with a school ID. Lawrence's box office is reachable at 920-832-6749 or by email at [email protected].