Festival jazz orchestra showcases Indiana musicians this Friday

Indiana jazz musicians are coming together to perform what will be the first performance of the Jazz Festival Orchestra directed by composer and IU jazz icon David Baker. The orchestra will perform pieces composed by graduates of the Jacobs School of Music's jazz program and other Indiana jazz artists.\n"It really becomes an Indiana celebration in that all the compositions are by Indiana people, not necessarily Indiana University," Baker said. "Basically the thematic concept is that it's Indiana." \nSome of the pieces included in the festival will be "Take it to the Ozone" by Indianapolis native Freddie Hubbard, "Shout me Out" by John Clayton, a three-time Grammy-nominated bassist, composer and conductor, "What is this Thing Called Love?" by Cole Porter, and a piece by JJ Johnson, an IU jazz studies graduate and accomplished jazz trombonist.\n"I chose people who have solid reputations in the field now," said Baker, an IU Distinguished Professor of Music and chairman of the jazz studies department. "I wanted people with major recording fields as well as performance careers. The arrangement of people is from 1951 to 1952 to the last four years. So that's kind of an accomplishment, we think."\nOne musician chosen by Baker is saxophone player Thomas Walsh, an IU associate professor of saxophone and jazz studies. Walsh has released numerous CDs as well as presented concerts and workshops around the world including the United States, Germany, Japan and Italy. Another accomplished musician performing in the festival is piano player and assistant Professor of Music Luke Gillespie. Gillespie is the recipient of numerous awards including best performance from the Indianapolis Star in 1993, the 1990 Copland Piano Concerto Competition at IU and the 1994 Indianapolis Jazz Festival Competition, according to the Jacobs School of Music's Web site. \nWinning an Emmy for the eight pieces he wrote for the PBS film "For God and Glory," Baker is perhaps one of the most accomplished musicians involved in the festival. He has composed more than 2,000 works, including jazz, symphonic and chamber music. Baker is also a Pulitzer Prize and Grammy nominee. \nDespite has taken the relative fame in stride.\n"I'm always very happy (to receive recognition)," Baker said. "But I'm just one person in this endeavor. I feel really blessed, but for this one I'm thinking of our team; really good musicians who have contributed to our reputation of music of Indiana University ... I just feel very wonderfully blessed to be a part of the Indiana University family."\nThe Jazz Festival Orchestra is at 8 p.m. Friday, June 30 at the IU Musical Arts Center. Tickets are available in person from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Friday at the Musical Arts Center box office located on Jordan Avenue between Third and Seventh streets. To receive more information call 855-7433.