NAU Jazz Festival 2024

February 23-24, 2024Eric Marienthol with clarinet

The 62nd annual NAU Jazz Festival will feature world-class guest artists, clinicians, NAU faculty masterclasses, and many talented participating bands from throughout the region. The festival is a non-competitive forum where high school and junior high bands perform for a panel of esteemed adjudicators, receiving ratings, comments, recordings, and clinics.

There will be NAU faculty masterclasses, performances, and clinics offered throughout the festival in addition to our featured Guest Artist Concert on Friday, February 23rd at 8pm in Ardrey Memorial Auditorium.

The NAU Jazz Festival is an ABODA sanctioned festival for middle school, high school, and community colleges. Our festival is a non-competitive setting, focused on a positive performance and educational experience. Big bands and combos perform for three adjudicators to receive ratings and comments. Following the performances each group participates in a clinic with one of our esteemed adjudicator/clinicians. Directors will receive written comments as well as recordings of both their band’s performance and adjudicator comments.

We are happy to announce our 2024 featured guest artist: Grammy Award winning saxophonist, Eric Marienthal. Eric is a premier saxophonist in Los Angeles and world-wide, having performed and recorded with a long list of “who’s who” in the jazz, pop, and contemporary music worlds including Chick Corea, Jeff Lorber, Randy Brecker, Elton John, Barbara Streisand, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick, Burt Bacharach, Aaron Neville, Johnny Mathis, Dave Grusin, Lee Ritenour, George Duke, David Benoit, The Gordon Goodwin Big Phat Band, The Yellowjackets, B.B. King, Patti Labelle, and many others.

Eric has also written 3 instructional books, “Comprehensive Jazz Studies & Exercises”, The Ultimate Jazz Play Along” and “The Music Of Eric Marienthal” as well as instructional videos, “Play Sax From Day One”, “Modern Sax” and “Tricks Of The Trade”, all published by Alfred Publishing/Belwin Jazz.

marinethal with drummer

Eric Marienthal will present a general masterclass on Friday, February 23rd at 1:00pm in Ardrey Memorial Auditorium. Our Guest Artist Concert will also be Friday, February 23rd at 8pm featuring Eric Marienthal and NAU Jazz Ensemble One. Tickets will be available starting in early January through the NAU Central Ticket Office at (888) 520-7214.

Daytime activities including school band performances, NAU faculty masterclasses, and more are free and open to the public. A detailed schedule will be posted as the festival approaches.

Registration forms are available here for download. Please submit your form and payment by the due date of Friday, February 2, 2024. Please Note: changes for 2024 allow registration for groups of any level for any day. Groups will be scheduled on a first-come-first-served basis. Specific scheduling requests will be accommodated as possible but cannot be guaranteed.

We Look forward to seeing you at the festival!

Chris Finet

NAU Jazz Studies

 

2024 Jazz Fest Schedule

Friday, February 23

MORNING

School / Ensemble
Times 
Director

Northland Prep Beginning Jazz Band
Warmup – 8:30 Performance – 9:00 Clinic – 9:30  
Sonja London-Hall
TJI Blue Note Combo
Warmup – 9 Performance – 9:30 Clinic – 10 
Scott Black/Brice Winston
Nogales HS Apache Jazz Band
Warmup – 9:30 Performance – 10:00 Clinic – 10:30 
Tony Belletti
Northland Prep Advanced Jazz Band
Warmup – 10:00 Performance – 10:30 Clinic – 11 
Sonja London-Hall
TJI Basie Band
Warmup – 10:30 Performance – 11:00 Clinic – 11:30 
Scott Black/Brice Winston
ALA Gilbert North
Warmup – 11 Performance – 11:30 Clinic – 12 
Freddy Ochoa
Marcos De Niza Padre Jazz Band
Warmup – 11:30 Performance – 12:00 Clinic – 12:30 
David Willers

MID-DAY All Schools:

1:00 – 2:00 Eric Marienthal Masterclass – Ardrey Memorial Auditorium

2:00-2:30 NAU Jazz Ensemble II Directed by Kevin Tague – Ardrey Memorial Auditorium

AFTERNOON

School / Ensemble
Times 
Director

Nogales HS Beginning Apache Jazz Band
Warmup – 2:30 Performance – 3:00 Clinic – 3:30  
Tony Belletti
Snowflake HS Jazz Band
Warmup – 3 Performance – 3:30 Clinic – 4 
TK Rollins
TJI Concord Combo
Warmup – 3:30 Performance – 4:00 Clinic – 4:30 
Scott Black/Brice Winston
Basha HS Varsity Jazz
Warmup – 4 Performance – 4:30 Clinic – 5 
Miles Denny
Desert Vista HS Tuesday Big Band
Warmup – 4:30 Performance – 5:00 Clinic – 5:30 
Mike Krill
TJI Ellington Big Band
Warmup – 5 Performance – 5:30 Clinic – 6 
Scott Black/Brice Winston

 

NAU Faculty Clinics

Clinic
Time 
Room 

Guitar Clinic with Dr. Josh Moore
2:30-3:30 pm  
Room 135  
Saxophone Clinic with Dr. Jonathan Bergeron
3:00 – 4:00 pm  
Room 145  
Trombone Clinic with Prof. David Vining
3:00 – 4:00 pm  
Room 144 
Bass Clinic with Prof. Chris Finet
4:00 – 5:00 pm  
Room 144 
Trumpet Clinic with Dr. Kevin Tague
4:00 – 5:00 pm  
Room 145 

8:00 PM Guest Artist Concert – Ardrey Memorial Auditorium

Saturday, February 24

School / Ensemble
Times 
Director

Continental Jazz Band
Warmup – 9:30 Performance – 10:00 Clinic – 10:30  
Cynthia Belletti
Heritage Academy Jazz Ensemble
Warmup – 10 Performance – 10:30 Clinic – 11 
Kerwin Blau
Sunrise Mountain HS ‘Stang Jazz Band
Warmup – 10:30 Performance – 11:00 Clinic – 11:30 
Jacob Osorio
TJI Coltrane Combo
Warmup – 11:00 Performance – 11:30 Clinic – 12 
Scott Black/Brice Winston
Peoria Unified Elementary Jazz Band
Warmup – 11:30 Performance – 12:00 Clinic – 12:30 
Brian Evans
Salpointe Catholic HS Maroon & Gold Jazz Band
Warmup – 12 Performance – 12:30 Clinic – 1 
Jim Howell
TJI Prestige Combo
Warmup – 12:30 Performance – 1:00 Clinic – 1:30 
Scott Black/Brice Winston
Desert Vista HS Thursday Big Band
Warmup – 1:00  Performance – 1:30 Clinic – 2 
Mike Krill

10 – 11:30 am Jam Session with Eric Marienthal, Rm. 145

NAU Faculty Clinics

Clinic
Time 
Room 

Rhythm Section Workshop with Prof. Chris Finet
11:30-12:30 pm  
Room 145  
SWING! – Jazz Horn Section Workshop with Dr. Kevin Tague
11:30 – 12:30 pm  
Room 144 

 

Kitt School of Music
Location
Building 37
Performing Arts
1115 S Knoles Dr
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-6040
Mailing Address
PO Box 6040
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-6040