It's All That Jazz February 23, 7:30 Michel Student Center

The Bradley University Jazz Festival to feature trombonist Ray Anderson

The Eleventh Annual Bradley University Jazz Festival will take place on Tuesday, February 23 at Bradley University’s Michel Student Center. This year’s festival features fifteen high school bands, guest artist Ray Anderson, and clinicians Arthur Falbush, Tim Pitchford, and Kevin Nichols.

Fifteen visiting high school bands will perform throughout the day, starting at 8:00 am. These performances are open to the public.

The evening concert will feature the Bradley Groove Project and Jazz Ensemble with Ray Anderson at 7:30 pm in the Michel Student Center Ballroom. Tickets for the evening concert are $10.00, and $5.00 for students. For more information, call the Bradley Cultural Events Box Office at 677-2650.

The mark of a great artist has always been to go beyond technical excellence and impart a personal vision - a sense of style and self-expression that is indelibly his own.  Among modern jazz musicians, no one rises to that standard more than trombonist Ray Anderson, whose sublime mastery of the tricks of his trade is equalled by the bountiful spirit he pours into his one-of-a kind sound.

The Bradley Jazz Ensemble, under the leadership of Dr. Todd Kelly, is the most visible ensemble in the Bradley Jazz program. In past years, they have performed at the Illinois Collegiate Jazz Festival and the Elmhurst College Jazz Festival, as well as three European tours. They have brought many world renowned jazz clinicians and soloists to the Bradley campus, including Mike Lee, The Mike Vax Big Band, Matt   Wilson, Rachael Lee, Allen Vizzutti, Ron Jones, Tom Garling, Byron Stripling, Chris Vadala, the Jeff Hamilton Trio, Wayne Bergeron, Denis DiBlasio, Kathy Kosins, Michael Davis, Allen Vizzutti, Wycliffe Gordon, Mark Colby, Bobby Shew, and Dennis Mackrel Each spring, the Bradley Jazz Festival is held on Bradley’s campus. In the summer of 2012, the band traveled to Italy, where they performed in Siena, Cinque Terre, Vertibo, and Rome. This summer, they will travel to New Orleans to perform and do humanitarian work.