JazzNIC Festival Concert to be held Feb. 6

The annual JazzNIC festival is back at North Idaho College with about 600 middle and high school students participating in jazz clinics Feb. 5-7, and a free concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6, in NIC’s Boswell Hall Schuler Performing Arts Center.

The Feb. 6 concert will feature Cardinal Vocal Jazz directed by NIC director of choirs Max Mendez, the NIC Jazz Ensemble directed by NIC director of bands Bryan Hannaford, along with special guests Dan Bukvich, director of Jazz Choir at the University Idaho, and Gary Gemberling, professor of Music at Whitman College. The concert is free and open to the public.

This educational event features hourly clinics for each participating ensemble with vocal jazz groups taking the stage during the day to perform for three highly acclaimed jazz educators. The clinics allow students to receive instant, specific feedback on how to improve their performances. On Feb. 6 and 7, the clinics will feature instrumental jazz ensembles. Along with Bukvich and Gemberling, Mendez and Hannaford will be this year’s clinicians.

The JazzNIC Festival concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6, will feature Cardinal Vocal Jazz directed by Mendez. Cardinal Vocal Jazz will present classics like “Besame Mucho,” “(Meet the) Flintstones,” and an arrangement of Saxophone Colossus Sonny Rollins’ “St.Thomas” named “Down St. Thomas Way” arranged by Dave Cazier from Columbia Basin College.

The NIC Jazz Ensemble directed by Hannaford will perform a number of high-energy, Latin arrangements such as “Naima,” “No More Blues,” and “Samba Del Gringo” to name a few. This portion of the concert will also feature Bukvich on percussion and Gemberling on trumpet and vocals.

Information: 208-769-3424.