April 14th – 17th, 2009
Featuring Kathy Kosins, Linda Oh, Nicole Mitchell,
Michelle Mercer, and Dr. Sabrina McCormick
April 14th, 6:00 – The Bodo Ensemble, David Lord, Beau Jarvis, and the Kurt Aiken Trio
@ Abode Home
7:30 – Book Signing with Jazz Journalist Michelle Mercer
@ Watermark Books
April 15th, 7:30 – Dr. Sabrina McCormick Presents No Family History
@ WSU’s CAC Theatre
April 16th, 7:30 – Symposium on Women in the Arts w/ WJF Guest Artists
@ WSU’s Rhatigan Student Center Regents Room
All Day – Regional Middle School, High School, and College Big Bands
@ WSU’s CAC Theatre
April 17th, 2:00 – Creativity Workshop with WJF Guest Artists
@ McAdams Recreation Center – 1329 E. 16th St.
7:30 – WJF Guest Artist Concert with Kathy Kosins, Linda Oh, and Nicole Mitchell
@ WSU’s CAC Theatre. Tickets, $15.
www.wichitajazzfestival.com
craig.owens@wichita.edu
316-978-6198
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The Wichita Jazz Festival will continue its annual tradition of presenting cutting-edge music from national jazz artists and furthering the education of young musicians this year by hosting concerts and clinics from April 14th to 17th. This year’s guest artists will be singer Kathy Kosins, flutist Nicole Mitchell and her trio, and bassist Linda Oh and her trio. In addition to the regular festivities, the events will provide a venue for the discussion of significant social issues: this year’s festival will showcase women in the arts and society while simultaneously addressing current issues in the field of women’s health. In order to do this, the Wichita Jazz Festival will bring in jazz journalist Michelle Mercer and Dr. Sabrina McCormick.
The festival will open on Wednesday at 6:00, with a concert at local furniture store Abode Home, featuring four of the leading local jazz groups, led by David Lord, Beau Jarvis, Kurt Aiken and Craig Owens.
That same night, at 7:30, jazz journalist Michelle Mercer – author of the official biography of the legendary jazz artist Wayne Shorter – will be reading selections from her latest book, Will You Take Me as I Am, a work drawn together from extensive interviews with the iconic folk musician Joni Mitchell, at Watermark Books. Following the readings, Mercer will be available for questions and book signings.
Thursday night will feature a screening of Dr. Sabrina McCormick’s No Family History, a film that follows the story of one woman as she is diagnosed with, treated for, and recovers from breast cancer. A serious and provocative work, Dr. McCormick’s film was an independent selection at the Philadelphia Film Festival of 2009 and was selected as Best Real Time Documentary at the event. The film will be shown at 7:30 PM in the CAC Theatre on the Wichita State University campus.
From its inception in 1972 to today, the Wichita Jazz Festival has always played an important role in the development of musical talent in the Midwest. On Friday, April 16th, bands from regional middle schools, high schools, and colleges will perform before professional clinicians in WSU’s CAC Theatre. Open to anyone, this event will take place throughout the day, providing a great opportunity for the friends and family of young musicians to experience the live concert setting, as well as a chance for those interested to see up-and-coming musicians who may return to the festival on their own terms in the future.
On that same evening, listeners will also get an opportunity to meet Ms. Mercer, Dr. McCormick, and this year’s three featured Wichita Jazz Festival guest artists, Kathy Kosins, Linda Oh, and Nicole Mitchell. At 7:30 in the Regents Room of WSU’s Rhatigan Student Center, the Wichita Jazz Festival will host a symposium focusing on current issues facing women in the arts, health, and everyday life. Local artist Lisa Hittle will also contribute to the discussion, providing a Wichita perspective on these topics.
As part of the WSU Jazz program’s new community outreach programs, a Creativity Workshop will be held at McAdams Recreation Center — 1329 E. 16th St – on April 17th at 2:00. This will give people the opportunity to interact with the guest artists on an artistic level and witness their individual approach to artistic creation. Kathy Kosins will be discussing the relationship between jazz and visual art, while Nicole Mitchell will work with with the subjects of composition and improvisation.
The festival will be brought to a close by this year’s Saturday night guest-artist concert. Starting at 7:30 with tickets priced at $15, the concert opens with Detroit-based jazz singer Kathy Kosins (http://www.kathykosins.com). Kosins, a veteran performer with almost thirty years experience, is known for her non-traditional approach to the jazz tradition. Local musicians Bill Caldwell (tenor saxophone), John Goering (piano), Mark Foley (bass) and Steve Hatfield (drums) will accompany her on the concert.
Following Kathy Kosins is young bass star Linda Oh, whose bass-playing and compositional talent take jazz in new directions. Armed with both acoustic and electric bass, Oh’s music draws upon a multitude of contemporary influences and provides an appealing alternative to existing trends in modern jazz. Linda received the ASCAP Young Jazz Composer’s award in 2008 and completed her Masters at the Manhattan School of Music – where she now teaches – in 2008, studying with Jay Anderson, John Riley, Phil Markowitz, Dave Liebman, and Rodney Jones.
Finally, Chicago-based composer and flutist Nicole Mitchell and her trio will bring both the concert and the festival to a close. As both a flutist and composer, Nicole Mitchell explores new sounds and creative techniques, maintaining the AACM’s long-held reputation for moving music forward while continuing to hold strong ties with important tradition.. Mitchell was honored by Downbeat magazine as #1 in their Critic’s Poll for Rising Star Flutist 2006 and was named “Chicagoan of the Year 2006” by the Chicago Tribune. Black Earth Ensemble (BEE), and Black Earth Strings (BES), founded by Mitchell, are forums for her compositions and creative vision.
For more information contact:
Craig Owens
craig.owens@wichita.edu, 316-978-6198
Matt Grenier
mjgrenier@wichita.edu, 316-253-1219