January 10, 2006

Terence Blanchard, Bobby Watson headline 2006 Jazz Festival

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – More bands, more venues and headliner performers like the Terence Blanchard Sextet and legendary alto saxophonist Bobby Watson will define the 16th annual Purdue Jazz Festival Jan. 20-22 on the West Lafayette campus.

Festival director Mo Trout said Elliott Hall of Music has been added to the list of competition venues to accommodate all the high school and middle school bands performing at the festival on Jan. 21. Sessions run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on eight stages in four buildings. Besides Elliott, there are three performance sites each in the Purdue Memorial Union and the Stewart Center, plus one stage in University Church. Admission is free.

Headlining the festival's two concerts are men who rose to prominence by performing with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. Trumpeter Terence Blanchard comes in with his sextet for an 8 p.m. concert Jan. 20 in Loeb Playhouse. Saxophonist Bobby Watson will be featured with the Purdue Jazz Band at 7 p.m. Jan. 21 in Loeb. Also featured in that concert is trombonist Steve Wiest. To obtain tickets for the Blanchard concert, call (765) 494-3933; for the Watson and Purdue Jazz Band concert, call (765) 494-0770.

Blanchard has written music for several Spike Lee films and earned a Golden Globe nomination for his score for Lee's "The 25th Hour." Lee will appear on the Purdue campus just prior to the Purdue Jazz Festival in a Jan. 18 appearance sponsored by the Black Cultural Center.

Watson's recent CD, Horizon Reassembled, rose to No. 1 on the national jazz airplay chart following its June 2004 release. Horizon, Watson's acoustic quintet modeled after the Jazz Messengers, is considered one of the pre-eminent small groups of the mid-1980s-1990s. In addition to his work as leader of Horizon, Watson has also led the Grammy nominated Tailor-Made Big Band, and is a founding member of the acclaimed 29th Street Saxophone Quartet.

The 2006 Festival offers two free concerts by one of the jazz scene's top female performers, Ellen Rowe. Rowe, a triple threat composer/arranger/educator from the University of Michigan, performs with her quartet at noon Jan. 21 in Loeb Playhouse. They will also be featured at the festival's warm-up jazz jam at the Holiday Inn City Centre on Jan. 19.

The festival has a new site for its popular jazz brunch. Food and live music will be served from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Jan. 22 at the Holiday Inn City Centre. Reservations are suggested; to make reservations, call (765) 423-1000. Also on Jan. 22 Al Jones and the Riverboat Ramblers will perform at a Jazz Church Service at University Church at 11 a.m.

For festival details, bios of participating artists and more, visit the festival web site.

Writer: Kathy Matter, Purdue Bands public relations director, (765) 496-6785, kcmatter@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

Related Web site:
Purdue University Bands

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