The Steve Kovalcheck Trio featuring Jeff Hamilton and Jon Hamar, and the Anat Cohen Tentet will be the featured artists at the 59th Annual Elmhurst University Jazz Festival, one of the oldest and best-known collegiate festivals in the country.
The lineup of acclaimed artists also includes saxophonist and composer Denis DiBlasio and three-time Grammy Award-winning drummer Ulysses S. Owens Jr., who both will perform with the Elmhurst University Jazz Band and serve as adjudicators at the Jazz Festival, which takes place from Feb. 26 –March 1.
Now in its 59th year, the Elmhurst University Jazz Festival welcomes top college and university jazz bands from across the country to participate in performances, master classes and more. The bands take turns performing for some of the greatest names in professional jazz, who offer critiques and honors, and then give performances of their own.
The Jazz Festival kicks off on Thursday, Feb. 26, with the High School Invitational, made possible with the generous support of the Sylvia and William W. Gretsch Memorial Foundation. This year’s two-day invitational will feature high school jazz ensembles from around the Chicago area, as well as from Michigan and Indiana.
College and university band performances begin in the afternoon on Friday, Feb. 27. That evening’s feature performance will be given by the Steve Kovalcheck Trio featuring Jeff Hamilton and Jon Hamar. Guitarist and composer Steve Kovalcheck brings a warm, blues-inflected tone and strong rhythmic feel to modern jazz. His upcoming album, Buckshot Blues, unites him with bassist Hamar and master drummer Hamilton.
On Saturday, Feb. 28, a clinic and master class with DiBlasio and Owens begins another day of college performances. The evening concert features the Anat Cohen Tentet, a 10-piece group that clarinetist-saxophonist Anat Cohen has showcased at such venues as Carnegie Hall and SFJAZZ’s Miner Auditorium. Her multiple Grammy nominations include one for 2019’s Triple Helix, the Tentet’s second album.
On the final day of the festival, the program features more college and university performances and concludes that afternoon with a performance by the Elmhurst University Jazz Band.
All sessions and featured performances will take place in Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel, both in person and via livestream. All are open to the public. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit elmhurst.edu/JazzFestival.
The Elmhurst University Jazz Festival is an ideal forum for jazz education, where some of the world’s most acclaimed artists gather with the next generation of musicians not only to perform the music but also to explore it together. Students have access to some of the best musicians in the business and can talk with them about their work and artistry, gaining professional connections and insights. In addition, Elmhurst University students run the festival, which gives them relevant, firsthand experience and a professional edge in a highly competitive marketplace.