Eau Claire Jazz Festival returns

2014 Eau Claire Jazz Festival - April 4-5

Posted: Sunday, March 30, 2014 12:00 am
By Jocelyn Syrstad Leader-Telegram staff
For the 47th year, jazz music is taking over Eau Claire.

The Eau Claire Jazz Festival returns Friday and Saturday to the UW-Eau Claire campus and various other locations throughout the city in what festival organizers are predicting will be the largest festival to date. Last year’s festival was the largest festival in the event’s nearly 50-year history, but the registration numbers have already surpassed the 2013 mark.

“It says a lot about the festival that is keeps growing and keeps getting better each year,” said Bob Baca, director of jazz studies at UW-Eau Claire. “People have done a spectacular job getting the word out there, and now we’ve far surpassed last year’s registration mark with time to spare. It will be a fun weekend.”

The festival is made up of clinics, performances, many different styles of jazz music and two guest performers. This year, Wycliffe Gordon and Byron Stripling are making their way to the festival.

Each musician — Gordon plays trombone, Stripling trumpet — will host a clinic each afternoon of the festival and then will perform in a concert at Memorial High School Friday and Saturday nights. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for students to the concert and can be purchased at the door or on eauclairejazz.com.

“Both guests are very similar,” Baca said. “They are both performers of the highest caliber. They understand the entertainment factor of jazz. Guests will be not only hearing great jazz music with these two, they’ll be seeing a show.”

The organizers of the jazz festival sought out Gordon and Stripling to headline this year’s event. Both musicians have performed in Eau Claire or at the university before and Baca said the event organizers are excited to have them back in town.
Read more: http://www.leadertelegram.com/entertainment/story/article_044cf5d8-b681-11e3-86a3-001a4bcf887a.html