Top jazz band students will conclude a two-day jazz festival at Elon University with a concert at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, March 6 in McCrary Theatre, located in the Faith Rockefeller Model Center for the Arts on campus. The performance will feature a select high school all-festival big band, guest clinicians John Jensen and Steve Abshire and Elon’s Jazz Ensemble. Artist-in-Residence Jon Metzger will host the event and perform.
Jensen, a trombonist and Abshire, a guitarist, earned attention as they toured with the Navy Commodores, the jazz ensemble of the U.S. Navy, for more than 20 years. Along with Metzger, Jensen and Abshire have worked with some of the top names in jazz, and have performed and recorded extensively.
At the festival, Jensen and Abshire will coach visiting high school and middle school jazz ensembles from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5. The event will feature between 300-400 visiting students from several North Carolina schools, including Williams High School in Burlington, Durant Road Middle School in Raleigh, Foard High School in Newton, Grimsley High School in Greensboro, and Western Alamance High School in Elon.
Clinicians will choose outstanding soloists for each band and select standouts to return to Elon Thursday, March 6 as part of the all-festival big band and the Elon Jazz Ensemble.
All events are free and open to the public.
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