News

CHENEY, Wash. - Eastern Washington University's Jazz Dialogue Festival will once again welcome middle school, high school and college jazz combos, choirs and bands from across the Northwest to learn the language of jazz. The 12th annual event, to be held Friday and Saturday, Jan. 13-14, 2012, will include more than 70 different guest groups from Washington, Idaho, Montana and Oregon.

In partnership with WestCoast Entertainment, the EWU Jazz Dialogue Festival will bring around 1,000 music students, their directors and guest jazz artists to Eastern's Cheney campus and Spokane during the two-day event. The emphasis of this unique instrumental and vocal jazz festival is on education, improvisation and the jazz language. Additionally, there will be clinics, ensemble critiques, workshops, open rehearsals and master classes with the guest artists. Guest clinicians include Erik Applegate (bass - University of Northern Colorado) , Chris Humphrey (vocal), Steve Roach (trumpet - Sacramento State), Dana Landry (piano - University of Northern Colorada), Bruce Diehl (saxophone - Amherst College) and many more.

"Our festival offers a truly educational experience for all - middle school, high school and our own college students," said Rob Tapper, EWU director of jazz studies, associate professor of trombone, and founder of the Jazz Dialogue Festival. "We take pride in considering this one of the best educational festivals in the country."

In addition to the educational element of the festival, public performances will electrify the local jazz and Eastern communities. At the Friday evening concert, EWU will welcome Kansas City vocalist extraordinaire Deborah Brown with a performance held at 7:30 p.m., in historic Showalter Auditorium. Saturday evening in conjunction with WestCoast Entertainment the finale concert for the 2012 festival will be the world famous Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. Tickets for this event can be obtained by going to bestofbroadwayspokane.com for more information.

Tickets for the EWU concert on Friday evening are $15 for adults and $7 for students and seniors (age 55 and up). Tickets and information are available at 509.359.7073.