Purdue Jazz Festival Develops Young Artists, Showcases Jazz to Community

Musicians and music enthusiasts gathered to celebrate the spirit of jazz at the 35th annual Purdue Jazz Festival, hosted by Purdue Bands & Orchestra in January.  

The Jazz Festival is an opportunity for jazz bands from middle schools and high schools across the Midwest to perform in front of adjudicators, participate in workshops with guest musicians and witness performances from renowned jazz musicians and ensembles. This year’s festival included 2,500 students from 81 schools and 127 bands and combinations of musicians. Participants included students from Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin. The festival spanned from January 21-25, with each day providing different opportunities for the participants and the Greater Lafayette community to discover the world of jazz.   

Students worked with featured artists and clinicians to galvanize and challenge their growth as musicians. Guests hosted sessions that focused on different elements of jazz, ranging from horn and rhythm sections to the expression of creativity during solos. This year’s guests included:  

• Jalen Baker, this year’s Artist-in-Residence, an accomplished vibraphonist from Houston, Texas. He has been an active performer with numerous renowned musicians and quartets, and led his own band in and around Georgia, Florida, Texas and Chicago.
• Camille Thurman, a tenor saxophonist and vocalist who became the first woman in 30 years to tour, record and perform full-time internationally with the world-renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra as a saxophonist/woodwind doubler.
• Sharel Cassity, a nationally acclaimed saxophonist who was named “Rising Star Alto Saxophone” and has appeared on TV productions such as the Today Show, Good Morning America and The Colbert Show. 
• Marlin McKay, an accomplished jazz trumpeter, recording with Nostalgic Records, and Assistant Professor of African American Music History and Jazz Education at the University of Louisville. 

Middle and high school students also worked alongside members of the 14-piece Mingus Big Band, a special guest and headliner of the festival, as well as leaders of the Purdue Jazz Band, the university’s premier jazz instrumental ensemble.  

This year’s festival also offered Indiana’s first-ever Essentially Ellington Regional, focusing on education and opportunities to perform the music of Duke Ellington and other seminal big band composers and arrangers. Co-produced with Essentially Ellington, this free high school jazz band program is dedicated to elevating musicians, broadening perspectives and inspiring performances. Participating musicians receive professional feedback from clinicians and jazz professionals.  

The competition element of the festival takes place over a full day, with ensembles competing in various divisions. Ensembles are evaluated by teams of experienced jazz musicians, composers, conductors and educators. Outstanding ensembles are recognized at a finale and awards ceremony.  

Bethany Robinson, festival director, and clinical assistant professor and director of jazz for Purdue Bands & Orchestras, has a long history with the festival and describes its impact. 

“My journey with this festival spans nearly three decades, starting as a middle school bassist, then as a novice high school band director and, eventually, as a veteran director who witnessed firsthand the power and impact this festival has had on countless students and educators,” Robinson says. “The Purdue Jazz Festival is more than just a chance to listen to amazing performances or attend insightful clinics – it’s a celebration of community. We’re grateful to all the adjudicators, band directors, students and concertgoers who attended the festival.”  

In addition to opportunities to collaborate, learn and explore the world of jazz, festival attendees and the Greater Lafayette community experienced performances by lauded jazz musicians. Kicking off the week was Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones, a three-act opera in jazz sponsored by the Purdue University Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging. 

Headlining the festival was Mingus Big Band, which performed to a packed house in Loeb Playhouse. The Mingus Big Band exclusively performs the music of composer/bassist Charles Mingus, a legendary bassist, bandleader and composer who blended the essence of gospel music, New Orleans jazz and New York vibrancy into joyous jams. Nearly half of the attendees at the headline concert were Jazz Festival guests.    

The Purdue Jazz Band performed multiple concerts with guest artists. While Purdue does not have a school of music, the university boasts seven jazz bands, with the Purdue Jazz Band serving as the premier jazz ensemble. The band tours and performs around the United States and has participated in several international tours since 2000, including performances in prestigious venues such as the Montreux, Alpine, and North Sea International Jazz Festivals. 

Local musicians were also highlighted in the Community Showcase, which presented the four Lafayette High School jazz bands.  

The Purdue Jazz Festival is an incredible opportunity for young musicians to sharpen their skills, perform and interact with some of the nation's most prominent jazz educators and musicians.  It's also a great chance for music lovers to indulge in live music from experienced talent and upcoming talent alike. Stay tuned for information on next year’s festival and other events by visiting the Purdue Bands & Orchestras website. Readers can also view performances and see the latest news on Instagram, YouTube,  X, and Facebook.  

About Purdue Bands & Orchestras  

Purdue Bands & Orchestras has been providing curricular ensemble opportunities to Purdue students for more than 130 years. Bands & Orchestras develops lifelong participants of music through extraordinary performances and innovative learning experiences in an environment where the uniqueness of all members is celebrated. From world-renowned performances by more than 30 different ensembles, including the Purdue “All-American” Marching Band, Bands & Orchestras is considered the “Heartbeat of the University.”