Cd'A Charter jazz band wins at U of I festival

MOSCOW — The Red Hot Jazz Band from Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy took top honors on Saturday at the University of Idaho’s 2019 Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival.

The festival, in its 52nd year, features two days of student competitions, workshops and clinics on the U of I campus in Moscow. More than 4,000 students from over 130 elementary, middle and high schools, as well as college and universities, are participating from around the region, including schools from Idaho, Montana, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, Canada.

After a full day of competition, Red Hot Jazz Band, directed by Michael Harrison, was named runner up in the category of Instrumental Ensembles Division AA at the Young Artists’ Concert Saturday night.

“With an increase in student performers and schools in attendance at this year’s festival, the competition was very strong,” said Vanessa Sielert, director of the Lionel Hampton School of Music in U of I’s College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences, in a news release. “It is inspiring to see these young artists share all of their hard work and energy with each other.”

Performances from the Young Artists’ Winners Concert will be available on the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival’s YouTube channel at the conclusion of the festival.