Jazz Festival
About the event
WSU celebrates its 26TH annual jazz festival with internationally acclaimed drummer, Gary Hobbs. Hobbs will perform with the WSU Jazz Big Band during a free, public concert at noon Wednesday, Nov. 7, in Bryan Hall at Washington State University. Members of WSU’s faculty ensemble, Jazz Northwest will perform at the noon gala concert as well. The band and Hobbs will play works from the Stan Kenton and Buddy Rich big bands, among others.
The gala concert is part of the daylong WSU Jazz Festival for area high school and middle school groups. The festival will include adjudicated performances throughout the day by visiting school groups; clinics by Hobbs, outside adjudicators, and WSU jazz studies faculty members.
Drummer Gary Hobbs is a native of the Pacific Northwest and lives in Vancouver, WA. He has played professionally for over 4 decades and appears on over 60 recordings. Gary played with The Stan Kenton Orchestra from 1975 through 1977. Through the years Gary has played with Randy Brecker, Bud Shank, George Cables, Ken Peplowski, Pete Christlieb, Greta Matassa, Anita O’Day, Dan Siegel, Glen Moore, The New York Voices, Eddie Harris and many more.
Gary is very active in Jazz Education teaching at The University of Oregon and traveling all over the US doing clinics, concerts and jazz camps with the help of Crescent Cymbal Company and Yamaha Drum Company.
The festival is presented by the WSU School of Music, Allegro, and the Jazz Society at WSU. For more information navigate to music.wsu.edu/area-information/jazz-studies/jazz-festival/ or contact Brian Ward brian.ward@wsu.edu.
Festival events are open to the public and without charge.
Allegro is an umbrella Registered Student Organization that represents all music student organizations at Washington State University. Allegro aims to excite and inspire through music by partnering with student organizations to provide funding for world-renowned guest artists to perform and work one-on-one with students on the Pullman campus. Allegro receives generous funding from the Associated Students of Washington State University.