Oscar performer presents at jazz festival

Monday, March 5, 2007

The University’s music and dance department celebrated the 30th anniversary of the KU Jazz Festival last weekend. The festival featured educational and performance opportunities for students, and live concerts for the general public.

The festival was a non-competitive venue for regional high schools to perform and for world-class jazz musicians and educators to be heard, including Gary Foster, KU alumnus and professional jazz musician.

“I’m honored and flattered to be back at KU,” Foster said. “I give credit everyday to what I learned here.”

Standing out on Foster’s list of accomplishments was a performance last week at the Oscars. He also played on the sound tracks of “The Simpsons,” “Family Guy” and “Star Wars.”

The jazz band from Lincoln Southeast High School in Lincoln, Neb., performed Saturday evening at the Lied Center. The high school has come to the festival nearly every year.

Nate Bond, Lincoln Southeast alto saxophone player, was at the festival for the third year.

“It’s a different experience every time,” Bond said. “The festival has helped my skills quite a bit.”

Foster said music students had a great opportunity at the University to be successful, and attributed great faculty to his success.

pullquote

It’s a different experience every time. The festival has helped my skills quite a bit.

-saxophone player Nate Bond

“I’m living a dream, doing what I love,” Foster said. “I feel like I did something right.”

The festival coincided with the 35th anniversary of the KU Jazz Studies Program.

Dan Gailey, director of jazz studies, said having both anniversaries the same weekend helped bring distinguished alumni to the event.

“It is also a chance for us to celebrate the contributions of many talented musicians and directors who were instrumental in getting our jazz program established as one of the nation’s premier programs,” he said.

Kansan staff writer Bethany Bunch can be contacted at bbunch@kansan.com.

— Edited by Carissa Pedigo

This Weekend

/news/2007/mar/01/out_weekend/

Former NPR critic discusses modern jazz

Faculty and a guest lecturer discussed the development of jazz during last ...

/news/2007/apr/02/critic/

Music festival honors historic composer

International musicians and University students will play at the festival.

/news/2009/apr/02/festival/

Orchestra students to perform New Year's concert ...

The KU Symphony Orchestra will return to Lawrence's sister city of Eutin, ...

/news/2011/dec/09/orchastra-students-perform-new-years-concert-germa/

Street musician upbeat about lifestyle

Joe Schreiner, a transient street musician, views his job as an “open ...

/news/2006/nov/29/buskers/

Jazz quintet defies musical mediocrity

Multimedia program at the Lied Center showcases 100 years of an American ...

/news/2009/jan/16/jazz_quintet/

Jazz ensemble takes act to Switzerland music ...

Students will perform six concerts over 10-day period in Switzerland and Germany.

/news/2008/jul/04/jazz/

Symphony Orchestra plays overseas to save festival

Music students intervened in a failing German festival.

/news/2011/oct/18/symphony-orchestra-plays-overseas-save-festival/

KU Orchestra performs in Germany

Members of the KU Symphony Orchestra play a New Year’s celebration concert ...

/news/2012/jan/29/orchestra-germany/

What Do You Know About... Jazz music ...

Going beyond the sounds.

/news/2012/feb/08/what-do-you-know-about-jazz-music-and-social-perce/

Stage presence: Louisiana Street Band

Local musicians. Feel free to swoon.

/news/2010/nov/04/stage-presence-louisiana-street-band/

More beats for your buck

A guide to today's music festivals.

/news/2009/aug/27/music_fests/

Israeli funk group to play in Lawrence

Hadag Nachash will kick off KU Hillel’s celebration of Israel’s 60th anniversary ...

/news/2008/feb/06/israeli_funk_group_play_lawrence/

Sounds of Brazil come to campus

Musician promotes culture and a cause with his jazz guitar.

/news/2010/apr/30/sounds-brazil/

University welcomes high school musicians

/news/2005/feb/04/news_campus_winds/

Accessing jazz

Make jazz more accessible by checking out local acts.

/news/2010/apr/29/accessing-jazz/

Festival to feature street performers downtown

The Busker Festival is coming to Lawrence for the first time on ...

/news/2008/aug/18/festival/

Sophomore walk-on makes impact in KU debut

/news/2005/sep/06/football_bb/

The Beak: Get ready for the 'beakend'

On-campus news-you-can-use from our latest experiment, a daily blog.

/news/2011/feb/25/beak-get-ready-beakend/

Connect with the roots of jazz by ...

/news/2005/apr/21/jayplay_venue_jazz/

Get some culture

Kansas City offers a great live jazz scene.

/news/2010/jan/14/get-some-culture/

Junkyard Jazz helps fans remember the classics

The band encourages people of all ages to come enjoy the music ...

/news/2011/aug/28/junkyard-jazz-classics/

Marching Jayhawks benefit from donation

The band has received a $100,000 endowment from Dana and Sue Anderson ...

/news/2008/oct/03/bandwidth/

All that jazz

Student Union Activities sponsored its first “Jazz Gala” Wednesday night in the ...

/news/2007/mar/01/jazz/

Student takes lead at local studio

A KU sophomore choreographed his first show, which will be performed tonight.

/news/2010/nov/01/student-takes-lead-local-studio/

Theater major introduces, "The Sensualist"

A passion for directing and producing keeps Burnett, Topeka junior, thriving towards ...

/news/2007/feb/02/production/

Swim team brings success home

The swim team comes home from winter training in San Juan with ...

/news/2008/jan/18/Swimming/

Art festival adds a cultural element

SUA and the Spencer Museum of Art team up to bring art, ...

/news/2009/may/01/art/

Lawrence Busker Festival: Keeping Lawrence Weird

The Lawrence Busker Festival showcases entertainers’ and artists’ unique talents downtown on ...

/news/2011/aug/23/lawrence-busker-festival-keeping-lawrence-weird/

Play addresses both sides of an issue

Tonight the University Theatre will perform "Keely and Du," a play that ...

/news/2007/apr/04/play/

String quartet's piece revives classics

Group will play pieces in response to Beethoven and Mendelssohn’s works.

/news/2009/oct/28/string_quartet_piece_classics/

Theater readies to curtain opening acts

More than 75 students showed up for auditions for the first four ...

/news/2007/aug/17/auditions/

This Beakend

Sunday is Earth Day. Check out Jazz in the Park at South ...

/news/2007/apr/20/beakend/

Weekly Choice

/news/2005/sep/01/weekly_c/

Visitors from sister city Eutin welcomed

Prominent city representatives, classical guitar orchestra, students arrive from Germany in Sister ...

/news/2009/oct/08/sister/

How We Met: Laura Whitney and Tommy ...

All great relationships have to start somewhere.

/news/2011/nov/17/how-we-met-laura-whitney-and-tommy-johnson/

Banquet, performance honor 50 years

The departments of theatre and film and music and dance honor the ...

/news/2007/nov/09/banquet/

Track team still optimistic despite losses

Overall, the men placed fourth and women second against Nebraska.

/news/2009/feb/02/track/

Junior leads golf team with high hopes

The future of KU men’s golf rests on the new team’s shoulders.

/news/2009/aug/24/junior_leads_team/

Music camp draws kids from around the ...

The International Institute for Young Musicians is open to pianists aged nine ...