Breakfast, now a cruise.....

Delicious breakfast at Cracker Barrel. Getting ready to go on our cruise. There is a bright orb in the sky - still working to identify what it is.......

Almost there.........

We are about 20 miles north of Savannah. The bus begins to awaken. There are murmurs of the word BREAKFAST coming from the back of the bus. Looks like a great day for a cruise....

Professor Rodney Whitaker preps the South HS Jazz Enemble

In preparation for the upcoming Swing Central Jazz Competition and Festival,
Professor Rodney Whitaker from Michigan State University and the former bassist with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, worked with the student musicians in the South High Jazz Ensemble, directed by Craig Roselieb.  The South HS Jazz Ensemble will compete against 12 other high school jazz bands from around the country in Savannah, Georgia from March 25-31, 2013.  During the festival, all twelve bands will perform the same repertoire, creating a unique platform for comparative adjudication.  Professor Whitaker listened to the work of the Jazz Ensemble and provided insight and instruction to prepare the ensemble for success at the coming festival.  The ideas exchanged were captivating and the improvement of the ensemble during the clinic time was remarkable.  The South High School Jazz Ensemble is ready to "put up their Dukes" with the finest jazz bands in the nation!

South HS Jazz at Chicago Children's Theatre

By special invitation students from the South High School Jazz Ensemble performed prior to the Chicago Chidren’s Theatre Production of Bud, Not Buddy.  The students created period appropriate music, playing Dixieland music from the 1920’s.  The ensemble was very well received by the theatre patrons, and received rave reviews both on their musicianship and their professional interactions with theatre personnel.  Funds from this performance will go, in part, to help defray the cost of the Jazz Ensemble traveling to Savannah, Georgia during spring break.

46th Annual Elmhurst Jazz Festival

The Jazz Ensemble from South High School in Downers Grove  was honored and proud to be invited to participate in the 46th Annual Elmhurst Jazz Festival today.  Clinicians included Byron Stripling, Denis DiBlasio, Dennis Mackrel and Bobby Floyd.  The ensemble performed today and then had an interactive clinic immediately after performing with each clinician.  After hearing four other outstanding high school jazz ensembles, the guest artists performed an hour long concert with the Elmhurst College Jazz Band directed by Doug Beach.

The collaborative culture was pronounced.  The exchange of ideas was rich.  The South HS Jazz Ensemble performed with sonic maturity and poise and represented the school and community in a remarkable way today at this midwest jazz institution.

South HS Jazz at the 2013 IMEC All-State

South High School Jazz was well represented at the 2013 IMEC in Peoria, Illinois.  Sender school Lakeview Junior High School performed to a capacity crowd on Thursday night, featuring Lakeview and South HS alum Michael Ruth.  Senior Ian Williams performed on the Jazz Concert on Friday night with the All-State Honors Combo, directed by Dana Hall.  Making All-State as a pianist is a high honor in Illinois as only 5 performers are accepted.  Ian's performance prowess was acknowledged further as a member of the combo, a spot typically reserved for the most proficient performer on jazz piano.  As a jazz musician, it was a great week to be a Mustang!

South HS Jazz 2013 Purdue Jazz Festival Highlight Reel

Enjoy these highlights from Jazz Lab Band and the Combo from the 2013 Purdue University Jazz Festival.