Concert: Hampton Jazz Festival

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The famous annual jazz festival Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival is back to the delight of the numerous jazz lovers all over the world. Buy Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival tickets from Chicago Gigs at low and discounted rates for the premium seats.

Every year Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival is held in February at the University of Idaho in Moscow. The festival has been held religiously since 1968. Every year in the month of February the festival is flocked by thousands of students of elementary schools, college students, high school and junior high school from various parts of Canada and United States of America. These students are just not the audience but form an important part of the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. They attend workshops, concerts, partake in adjudicated performances of vocals and instrumental apart from meeting the jazz performers.

In 1968 the first University of Idaho Jazz Festival was held. The festival was conducted just for one day. There was one evening concert by a single jazz artist and the event had fifteen student groups. But now the festival is a four day event with seven concerts. Number of great jazz players have been to the festival. To name a few they were Carmen McRae, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Green, Hank Jones, Diana Krall, Sarah Vaughan, Gerry Mulligan,
Dianne Reeves, Wynton Marsalis, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Roy Hargrove, and Joey DeFranchesco. The great Lionel Hampton along with his New York Big Band has also performed in University of Idaho Jazz Festival.

The festival also has adjudicated performances held for four days. These performances is participated by about 14,000 students belonging to 300 schools. There are large numbers of parents, teachers, friends and supporters. also. On Wednesday competition is held between junior high, elementary and middle school. While on Thursday the competition is between the college students. Friday is devoted to the competition between vocal groups of the high school while high school jazz bands play on the last day that is Saturday.

The main attraction of Hampton Jazz Festival is the workshops conducted by guest artists. It comes as an wonderful opportunity for the greatest jazz musicians and students to meet and learn one of the greatest genre of music. The meting is casual but is well planned in advance. The musicians have various sessions with the students where they play, answer questions, discuss and showcase their techniques. During the festival at least one clinic is performed by the guest musicians. These sessions in the festival have always been applauded by the jazz artist since it gives them a chance to be among the students and impart their knowledge and experience to them. These sessions were particularly praised by guitarist Herb Ellis.

Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival has now become one of the premier jazz festival in the world. Hampton Jazz Festival has given rise to many other similar festivals like Sitka Jazz Festival held in Alaska.
The present Artistic Director of Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival is John Clayton. John Clayton is himself a wonderful musician, composer, bassist and conductor. He has been nominated for Grammy Awards not for one or two times but for six times.
For becoming Artistic Director Clayton says "Having been a fan of Lionel Hampton's and participating in his festival, I have grown to understand the impact that it has on the lives of young artists and jazz supporters. It is an honor for me to be in this position. For this music, for its artists and for Hamp's contributions and his ongoing spirit, I will do all that I can to continue this legacy of jazz education while moving forward."

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