Jazz bands from schools across Southeast Missouri will come together to perform in the Tinnin Fine Arts Center as the Three Rivers College Music Department hosts the 30th annual Jazz Festival on February 12 at 7 p.m. Admission is free. The Cornet Chop Suey will also perform at 7 p.m. February 11 in the Tinnin Center Auditorium. Admission for Cornet Chop Suey is $15, and tickets may be purchased online at tinnin.ticketleap.com.
“I am pleased we are able to host the 30th Annual Three Rivers Jazz Festival after having missed last year for the first time in our history because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said William White, Professor of Music at Three Rivers and director of the College’s Jazz Band. “I am sure our audiences will hear fantastic performances by all of the groups this year.”
The Saturday, February 12, performance will feature the Southeast Missouri All-District Jazz Band, which consists of the best high school jazz musicians in Missouri Music Educators Association (MMEA) District 10. The All-District Jazz Band will be directed by Dr. Kevin Tague, Assistant Professor of Trumpet at Southeast Missouri State University.
In addition to the performances, the festival includes clinics during the day for students in the participating bands. Hour long clinics with Dr. Tague are from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. in the Tinnin Center auditorium, with a lunch break at noon.
“Our clinicians have been world-class educators from the beginning, and this year we have one of the best,” White said. “Please come and see the great work our area students are doing to promote America’s art form—jazz!”
Dr. Tague has taught at the University of Nevada – Las Vegas; the Las Vegas Academy for the Arts; Liberty High School in Henderson, Nevada; the University of Denver; and the Denver School of the Arts. He regularly performed on the Las Vegas Strip as well as with headlining acts, including The Temptations, The O’Jays, Kirk Whalum, Take 6, Mannheim Steamroller, and others. He has performed with the Southeast Missouri Symphony, the Las Vegas Philharmonic, the Henderson Symphony, and been featured as a soloist with the SEMO Wind Symphony, the UNLV Symphonic Winds, the Las Vegas Brass Band, and the Ibis Ensemble in Trinidad and Tobago. Dr. Tague has also toured internationally and performed with musical theater productions in Chicago, Denver, and Las Vegas. He can be heard as lead or principal trumpet on recordings for Klavier records, Dazzle recordings, Albany Records, Interscope Digital, and others. Dr. Tague holds degrees from DePaul University (bachelor’s), the University of Denver (master’s), and the University of Nevada – Las Vegas (doctorate).
People wanting more information on the annual Jazz Festival, or those interested in participating in next year’s performance, can call the Three Rivers College Music Department at 573-840-9639.
Three Rivers College is committed to contributing to the quality of life in Southeast Missouri with quality, affordable higher education opportunities and community services that support and encourage the economic, civic, and cultural vitality of the region. For more information about college and workforce programs and upcoming events, visit trcc.edu.
