North Idaho College presents JazzNIC Festival Concert

The annual JazzNIC festival is almost here. The festival runs Feb. 4 - 6, with about 600 middle and high school students participating in jazz clinics. There will be a concert at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 5, in NIC’s Boswell Hall Schuler Performing Arts Center. The concert is free and open to the public.

The concert will feature Cardinal Vocal Jazz, directed by Jesse Hampsch and the NIC Jazz Ensemble, directed by NIC Director of Bands Bryan Hannaford, along with special guests Andrea Olsen and Phillip K. Jones II. This educational event features hourly clinics for vocal jazz groups, taking the stage to perform for highly acclaimed jazz educators. The clinics allow students to receive instant, specific feedback on how to improve their performances. On Feb. 5 and 6, the clinics will feature instrumental jazz ensembles.

Hampsch is a graduate of NIC who recently completed a master’s degree in choral conducting and composition from the University of Idaho. The Vocal Jazz ensemble is under his direction while Max Mendez is on sabbatical.

Cardinal Vocal Jazz will be performing three songs, with one by University of Idaho jazz piano faculty Kate Skinner. Hampsch’s background in arranging and composition will be on display during this concert, which will feature vocal jazz arrangements for two of the three songs they will perform. Look forward to “Don’t Let me Know” by Kate Skinner, and classics “Stormy Weather” and “Coffee Song” from Cardinal Vocal Jazz.

The NIC Jazz Ensemble directed by Hannaford will perform with both guest clinicians. Olsen is managing director of Spokane Choral Artists and sings lead in the internationally ranked Sweet Adelines women’s barbershop quartet “Pepper.” Olsen is an applied voice instructor at NIC and currently directs the NIC Chamber Singers. Olsen will perform Hoagy Carmichael’s “Nearness of You” and from Brigadoon “Almost Like Being in Love.” Jones will perform on piano his own arrangements of Jazz Standards, “Little Sunflower,” “Firm Roots,” and “Speak No Evil.” Currently, Jones is teaching applied-jazz piano and jazz combos at Texas State University. He also works as the assistant minister of Music at The Fort Bend Church, in Sugar Land, Texas.

Information: (208) 769-3424.