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Purdue Jazz Festival 2017 Preview

Purdue University photo/Mark Simons

Purdue Bands & Orchestra will host the 27th annual Purdue Jazz Festival through January 21st. The weekend will feature concerts and clinics from esteemed jazz musicians as well as competitions for 95 high school and middle school bands and combos. John Clare spoke with Mo Trout and Tim Coffman about the 2017 Festival.

On Friday, Jan. 20, at 8 p.m., Arturo O’Farrill and the Grammy award-winning Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra will perform in Loeb Playhouse. The concert brings together the drama of big band jazz, the culture of Latin music and the virtuosity of 18 of the world’s most accomplished solo musicians. The program will range from the very best in dance music to repertoire that expands all expected Latin music boundaries.

High school and middle school jazz bands and combos will be performing from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21, on multiple stages in the Purdue Memorial Union, Stewart Center, and Pao Hall. All performances are free. Also on Saturday, Arturo O’Farrill and members of the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Ingrid Jensen, David Bixler, Tim Coffman, and Russ Nolan will lead clinics. At noon in Loeb Playhouse on Saturday (Jan. 21), the Purdue Jazz Band will perform with guest artists Tim Coffman, Ingrid Jensen, and David Bixler. Admission is free.

John Nasukaluk Clare is comfortable behind a microphone, streaming video or playing violin. A former broadcaster for NPR, John has previously worked with Voice of America, the Canadian Broadcast Corporation and stations in Texas, Kansas, Nevada, California, and Pennsylvania. In 2005, Clare earned the Deems Taylor Award from ASCAP for radio broadcasting, citing his work on 20/20 Hearing. Having performed with famed tenors Luciano Pavarotti and Andrea Bocelli, John has worked with the Mozart Festival Texas, Mid Texas Symphony, Nevada Chamber Symphony, Shreveport Symphony, Abilene Philharmonic and Wichita Symphony Orchestra.
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