Chicago Jazz Festival

One of the better jazz festivals in North America is the Chicago Jazz Festival. Although not as famous as its counterparts in Newport, Monterey, or Montreal, it has undergone a bit of a renaissance over the past few years, and it is still one of the few free fests around. Two years ago I caught living legend Ornette Coleman, one of the elder statesmen of jazz and a pioneer free jazz musician. His set on alto sax, trumpet, and violin was a flurry of creativity and passion--quite impressive given that he was 80 years old at the time. I also saw a band called 8 Bold Souls play a collection of swinging avant garde tunes that inspired me to seek out their recordings and learn more about them.

This year's jazz fest starts this week and will be featuring a DHS JB favorite, Nicole Mitchell, as artist-in-residence. She is a leader on the Chicago jazz scene, known as an outstanding flutist, composer, and bandleader. We played her tune "Cause and Effect" last year, and two of our members participated in a master class she presented. She will be appearing four times throughout the festival, in a duo and with larger groups like her Black Earth Ensemble. Other highlights of the festival include:

• Brad Mehldau, an internationally acclaimed pianist known for dense, polyphonic music and his interpretations of Radiohead and Beatles tunes
  
  
• The Either/Orchestra, an eclectic band out of Boston (DHS alum Danny Kaufman toured and recorded with them several years back)
  
  
• Kurt Elling, one of the top jazz vocalists in the world, and another local Chicagoan

I highly recommend that you check out the schedule and get downtown to see some of the shows. You won't be disappointed! I'm hoping to get down there on Sunday--see you there!

Band Camp 2010!

Here is a batch of pictures from Band Camp today. We are off to a great start, with pregame learned (although there's plenty of polishing to do), halftime started, and a good amount of pep music under our belts. I am especially proud of an extra large group of freshmen who have joined us and are already becoming an important part of the band family. The seniors are doing a great job in their leadership roles, and I can tell it's going to be a great season.

Here are the results from the section march-by:

1. Sousaphones
2. Saxophones
3. Mellophones

Tomorrow we do the individual march off. Place your wagers now! (Just kidding. Gambling on marching band rehearsals is illegal, immoral, and against the activities code. Don't gamble!)

From the Archives

Here's a picture of the Deerfield HS Band playing the most presitigious performance of our 50-year history. In 1972, Deerfield resident Dan Walker won the Illinois gubernatorial election to become our state's 36th governor. He asked the DHS Band to perform at his inauguration, and on Monday, January 8, 1973, Mr. Spriester brought the students to Springfield to play the pre-ceremony prelude . Musical selections included "Battle Hymn of the Republic," "There'll Be a Change in the Weather," "Anchors Aweigh," and "America the Beautiful." The University of Illinois Marching Band played the national anthem, our state song, and a recessional. Today, if you visit our band room, you'll see a framed collage commemorating the event with a picture of Gov. Walker, two photos of the band at the capitol, and a handwritten thank-you note from the governor.

Fortunately for us, the legacy of the DHS Band did not follow Gov. Walker's career. In 1987, he was convicted of improper financial dealings with a savings and loan and sentenced to seven years in jail. He served 18 months in a prison in Duluth, Minnesota, and now lives in California.

The DHS Band actually played for President Reagan in 1985. His helicopter touched down in our parking lot before he was whisked away to a speaking engagement at the kitchens of Sara Lee, which at the time had its headquarters in Deerfield at Waukegan and Kates Roads. The band and Choraliers performed for him there, but it wasn't a high profile gig like the governor's inauguration.