Carolina Jazz Festival Wraps Up

The 49th Carolina Jazz Festival featured baritone saxophonist Jason Marshall as its special guest artist. Marshall, a professor at Montclair State University, collaborated with UNC faculty and student groups throughout the weekend, including a performance with student combos where he had only ten minutes to rehearse with each group. UNC Jazz Band director Rahsaan Barber, who has a long-standing connection with Marshall from their student days in New York, invited him to the festival. Barber also performed with his own quintet, which included renowned musicians Jeff “Tain” Watts, Nat Reeves, Matt Endahl, and Ted Ludwig, at a free concert in Moeser Auditorium. The festival served as a significant educational event, offering free access for students to see legendary musicians perform. For student musicians like UNC Jazz Band drummer Michael O'Laughlin, seeing one of his inspirations, Jeff “Tain” Watts, perform for free was a remarkable opportunity. A key component of the festival is the North Carolina Regional Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Festival, which takes place in conjunction with Jazz at Lincoln Center. This program provides a platform for high school jazz bands and combos to perform and participate in clinics with the visiting artists. The event kicked off with a performance by UNC faculty and Jason Marshall at the local Sharp 9 Gallery in Durham, aiming to engage with the broader community. The festival also included jam sessions, providing a space for spontaneous, improvised performances by students and professionals. The festival's structure emphasizes a blend of professional headliners, faculty showcases, and student performances. UNC's Director of Jazz Studies, Stephen Anderson, noted that the network of connections among faculty and guest artists allows them to bring in a diverse range of high-caliber musicians each year.