JAMESTOWN - Bruce John-stone, director of curricular jazz ensembles at the State University of New York at Fredonia, will perform with three of his top student jazz ensembles during JazzFest at Jamestown Community College's Jamestown Campus Tuesday.
Admission to the 7 p.m. performance in Scharmann Theatre is $5, general public, $3, area students and senior citizens, and $2, JCC Faculty Student Association members. Tickets can be purchased through JCC's box office, 338.1187, or at the theatre door.
The performance is sponsored by the college program committee of JCC's FSA and the arts, humanities, and health sciences division.
Johnstone, a jazz baritone saxophonist and composer from New Zealand, came to the U.S. in 1972 after building strong reputations in Australia, England, France, and Denmark. A former featured soloist with big band jazz legends Maynard Ferguson and Woody Herman, and a Down Beat Magazine poll winner, Johnstone has brought professional experience to SUNY Fredonia's curricular jazz program and the western New York jazz scene.
Joining Johnstone at JCC's Jazz Fest will be the 18-piece "Wednesday Night Big Band," SUNY Fredonia's highest ranked jazz ensemble featuring tenor saxophonists Chris Celiz and Joe North, trumpet player Matt Bowman, alto saxophonists Lucy Warmbrodt and Miranda Dube, baritone saxophonist Matt Suprina, and guitarist Drew Azzinaro. The entire trombone section, led by Mike Dorato, will also be featured as soloists.
Also performing will be "The Fredonia Hot Club," a five-piece tribute group in the style of legendary Belgian Gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt and French violinist Stephan Grappelli. Led by guitarist Matt Downey, the group features jazz violinist Ryan Delaney, accordionist Phil Tappan, drummer Cory Grant, and bassist/vocalist Ed Croft.
Rounding out the concert will be "Bruce Johnstone with The Carousel Strings," a group of 10 strings and rhythm section, playing a range of styles from ballads to hard bop to Latin jazz and featuring vocalist Rocio Gosende. According to Johnstone, it's rare to hear jazz in this context. He has taken the influence of Charlie Parker's legendary "With Strings" recording and created a vibrant and unique ensemble. Solos by violinist Chelsea Hadden and violist Sarah LaValle will be featured.
SUNY Fredonia's jazz program includes four full-sized big bands, including a Latin jazz big band led by noted percussionist John Bacon, and multiple small jazz groups.
Johnstone was a soloist and clinician at the 29th Annual International Saxophone Sympos-ium with the Navy Commodores Jazz Ensemble and at Penn State University's annual collegiate jazz festival. He has been a featured soloist with the Erie Chamber Orchestra and Bemus Bay Pops.
Johnstone was one of the original instructors for Jamestown's Infinity Visual and Performing Arts Program and has performed previously at JCC as leader of his own quartets and as a member of Don Menza's Octet.
Johnstone has worked with the Gap Mangione Big Band, performed with the LaBarbera Brothers Reunion Big Band, and has played jazz festivals in western New York and Canada. He was guest ensemble director at the Erie County Music Educators Associa-tion jazz festival and appears frequently with the Buffalo Philharmonic Pops and at Chau-tauqua Institution.
He has toured and recorded with the Stan Kenton Alumni Band and was a featured soloist at the Los Angeles Jazz Institute's 2007 Jazz Festival with the Los Angeles Neophonic Orchestra, the Cal State Long Beach Jazz Ensemble, and the Maynard Ferguson Alumni Band.
