The Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance at Â鶹ÊÓƵ presents the twenty-fifth annual Â鶹ÊÓƵ Jazz Festival. This Festival will honor two brothers who are alumni of the department: Ralph (’69, ’75) and John Morris (’71, ’73). Admission to the Festival is free and is open to the general public. Seating is general admission.
The concert will also be live-streamed. Go to the for more information.
Featured groups will include the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Jazz Band, the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Jazz Ensemble, and the Johnstown Jazz Workshop. Both Â鶹ÊÓƵ groups are directed by Jim Flowers, assistant professor of saxophone. The guest artists for the concert feature musicians who were heavily influenced by John, including prolific arranger Paul Murtha and influential retired educator and drummer Michael Bodolosky (’72, ’78) among others who performed with John in the Johnstown Jazz Workshop.
In describing the upcoming event, Flowers said, “For this year’s annual Â鶹ÊÓƵ Jazz Festival, the bands and I are excited to highlight Ralph and John Morris. The work John did with the Johnstown Jazz Workshop and his time as Â鶹ÊÓƵ faculty made an immeasurable contribution to jazz in the area. We also want to show appreciation for the large endowment that Ralph left the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Jazz Bands.”
Flowers continued, “Additionally, Ralph donated around 200 of John’s original compositions and arrangements. If you were a follower of the JJW, the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Jazz bands will be featuring a number of tunes regularly performed by the JJW.”
For more information about these and other events sponsored by the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance, please call 724-357-2390 or visit the Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance website.
This concert is produced by the Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance. The Lively Arts, a program of the College of Arts, Humanities, Media, and Public Affairs, presents nearly 200 performances, programs, and exhibits annually.