ETHS Jazz Fest To Feature Chicago's Rajiv Halim Quintet

From the Evanston Jazz Festival:

EVANSTON, IL — The 17th annual Evanston Township High School (ETHS) Jazz Festival is set for Saturday, Feb. 15, and features an evening concert by Chicago’s Rajiv Halim Quintet. ETHS’ own Jazz Ensemble will open the concert in the main auditorium led by Matthew Bufis, director of Bands. The festival’s noontime concert will feature the Brian Gephart Group. Halim and bandmates also will give attendees a special presentation.

“The growth of this event has been fantastic for the student musicians and for the school,” Bufis says. “Middle and high school musicians from across Chicagoland get a chance to challenge themselves in many ways. There is the musical selection they’ve prepared, but they also are challenged by distinguished clinicians and observe some of the best jazz artists that keep the genre evolving.”

Tickets for the evening show in the school’s main auditorium are priced at $20 for adults, $15 for students with ID and senior citizens. They can be purchased by calling (847) 424 – 7848 or clicking ETHSJazz.com. Proceeds benefit jazz education at ETHS.

Throughout the day, 13 jazz ensembles from seven schools large and small join ETHS’s nine bands and combos. The student bands will perform throughout the day to build their performance experience, sharpen their skills and showcase the amazing jazz talent that our area music programs are nurturing. Following each performance, the group will participate in a half hour clinic. Our adjudicators and clinicians are world-class professional musicians, university professors and educators who will share their expertise with each group during a 30-minute clinic following the group’s performance.

FEATURED PERFORMERS
Rajiv Halim is a saxophonist, composer, and educator from Chicago. Internationally, Rajiv has performed at venues and festivals in Canada, Poland, Belize, and Taiwan. Nationally, Rajiv has performed and/or recorded with many great musicians: Jennifer Hudson, Chance The Rapper, Cory Henry, Von Freeman, Mike Stern, Martha Reeves, Bob Mintzer, The Four Tops, and others. A highlight of Rajiv’s recording career came in 2016 when he contributed saxophone parts to the composition “Finish Line” by Chance the Rapper for his project “Coloring Book”, which won the 2017 Grammy Award for “Best Rap Album.” Rajiv’s debut album, “Foundation,” was released in August 2015.

The Brian Gephart Group has been a leading ensemble for many years in the Chicago area. They have performed all over Chicagoland and the Midwest. Gephart plays with a rotating pool of super talented jazz musicians, performing a combination of his original compositions, jazz standards, and jazz versions of popular music. The primary group consists of Gephart on tenor and soprano saxophones, Karl Montzka on piano, Mike Arnopol on bass and Tim Davis on drums.

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SCHOOLS PARTICIPATING

• Lyons Township High School, Western Springs, Ill.
• Grayslake North High School, Grayslake, Ill.
• Lincoln-Way Central High School, New Lenox, Ill.
• Addison Trail High School, Addison, Ill.
• Lakes Community High School, Lake Villa, Ill.
• Music Institute of Chicago, Winnetka, Ill.
• Nichols Middle School, Evanston, Ill.

JAZZ FEST ADJUDICATORS AND CLINICIANS

• Rhythm Section Clinic: Joan Hickey, Joel Spencer, Larry Gray
• Saxophone Clinic: Pete Mills
• Brass Clinic: Tom Garling
• Scott Burns – Saxophone (plus Sax Clinic)
• Joel Spencer – Drums
• Pete Mills – Saxophone
• Larry Gray – Bass
• Scott Burns – Saxophone
• Joan Hickey – Piano
• Tom Garling – Trombone
• Pharez Whitted – Trumpet
• Tim Coffman – Trombone

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
Established in 2004 as a non-competitive, all-day jazz immersion event, the Evanston Township High School Jazz Festival hosts nearly 50 middle and high school jazz groups from around the region. Students of all levels are inspired by professional musicians, enlightened by our clinics, lectures, and master classes, and encouraged to take their playing to the next level. This educational and cultural jazz festival has earned its distinction by providing the opportunity to showcase local, national, and international artists. It is the mission of the Evanston Township High School Jazz Festival to provide an important supplement to the students’ pursuit of jazz by highlighting the enduring elements and important innovations of this distinctly American music.

For more information on the Rajiv Halim Quintet, please visit rajivhalim.com/about.

For more information on the Brian Gephart Group, please visit briangephart.com.

This release was produced by the Evanston Jazz Festival. The views expressed here are the author's own.