Previous Festivals: 2003 Festival
In addition to honoring Al
Sears, the 2003 festival honored Dale Hopper, a professor emeritus
of
music at Western, who was instrumental in building the outstanding jazz
program at Western Illinois University.
Hopper directed the much acclaimed WIU Jazz Studio Orchestra during
his tenure. A scholarship has been established in Hopper's name at the WIU
Foundation. In lieu of admission to the festival, audience members were
asked to contribute to this new scholarship that will be awarded to
outstanding jazz studies students at WIU.
| Sept 2, 2003 |
Western Illinois Museum Opening Celebration |
| |
- 7 p.m. opening celebration and reception
- 201 South Lafayette Street in Macomb, Illinois
- Refreshments will be served
- Sterling Kernek, professor emeritus of history at WIU, will give a
brief presentation about Al Sears
- Jazz performances by Macomb High School students.
- The event and the exhibition are open and free to the public.
- For more information contact the Macomb Area Convention and Visitors
Bureau at 309-833-1315.
|
| Sept 2 - 27 |
Western Illinois Museum Exhibition featuring Al Sears |
| |
- 201 South Lafayette Street in Macomb, Illinois
- The exhibition is free to the public.
- For more information contact the Macomb Area Convention and Visitors
Bureau at 309-833-1315.
|
| Sept 22 - 26 |
MHS Student lectures Macomb High School |
| |
- John Vana, saxophonist and part of the jazz faculty at WIU will make
a presentation to high school students about Al Sears and jazz
music at the Fellheimer Auditorium at the Macomb High School during the week
of the festival.
- These presentations are limited to MHS students
|
| Sept 26 |
Lecture regarding Swing Era in Western Illinois
and Brief Overview of Life of Al Sears |
| |
- Festival weekend kicks off at 7 p.m. Friday, September 26
- Community Room at City Hall, 232 E. Jackson
- WIU Professor John Hallwas, a widely published regional historian,
will give a lecture regarding the swing era in
the western Illinois region and provide a brief overview of the life and
work of Al Sears.
- Two student ensembles from Macomb High School will perform following
the talk
- The event is open and free to the public.
|
| Sept 27 |
Macomb Jazz Festival Bicycle Ride |
| |
|
| Sept 27 |
Al Sears Jazz Festival |
| |
- noon to 9 pm
- At the vacant lot on East Carroll Street across from Chandler Park
in downtown Macomb, Illinois
- Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs
- The event is open and free to the public
- Coke, Miller Lite, and Regal Liquors will sell soft drinks, wine and
beer during the festival. A section of the concert area will be reserved
for this purpose.
- See detailed schedule below
|
| |
|
Saturday, September 27, 2003 -
Al Sears Jazz Festival
| noon - 12:45 p.m. |
B –Flat Avenue and Friends featuring
Bill Maakestad, Larry Rawlins, Daryl Best, Brian Davenport and Jim Betts |
| 1:00 - 1:30 p.m.
|
WIU Steel Band, directed by Rick Kurasz |
| 1:45 - 2:15 p.m. |
Sondra Mosley, Pianist
|
| 2:30 - 3:15 p.m.
|
WIU Hopper Jazz Quintet, featuring John
Cooper,
trumpet, John Vana, saxophone, Stephen Anderson, pianist, Jeff Halsey,
bass
and Kevin Nichols, percussion |
| 3:30 - 4:15 p.m.
|
Muskat Ramblers Dixieland Band, featuring
Macomb performers Forrest Suycott,
Bob Sibbing, as well as James Manard and James Priebe |
| 4:15 - 4:30 p.m. |
C. T. Vivian Tribute *, by Earl Bracey of
the Macomb Pro-Diversity Committee |
| 4:30 - 4:45 p.m.
|
Poet S'thembile West, to present her poetic
tribute to Al Sears, accompanied by John Simmons, pianist.
|
| 5:00 - 5:45 p.m
|
Sally Weisenburg & the Famous Sidemen
including Macomb performers and WIU JSO alumni Pete Hannen, Ken Zahnle,
and Tony Corpus |
| 6:00 - 6:45 p.m.
|
Ann Collins Trio with Vicki Mayo, vocalist |
| 7:00 - 7:45 p.m.
|
WIU Jazz Studio Orchestra (JSO) directed
by John Cooper |
| 8:00 - 9:00 p.m.
|
Jam Session, featuring many of the artists
from the festival |
| |
|
* The City of Macomb has designated a portion of W. Murray
Street as "Dr. C.T.
Vivian
Way." Dedication of the stretch of roadway, from Western Ave. to Stadium Dr.
on the Western Illinois University campus was held September 26, 2003. The
roadway was
renamed in
honor of
the
WIU
graduate
who
went
on
to
earn his
Master
of Divinity degree and become an aide to Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in the
civil rights struggles of the 1960s.
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