John Waldron, local jazz group present concert ‘from the top’

The future of the jazz community in Bloomington will rally this weekend when musicians from Bloomington North, Bloomington South, Edgewood and Jackson Creek high schools team up to offer the community a night of melodic music inspired by a younger generation. \nThe John Waldron Arts Center will host pre-college musicians for their annual concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday as they perform music inspired by NPR’s radio show “From the Top.”\nThe ensemble that is sponsored by Jazz for Bloomington will feature four singers, piano, drums, bass, saxophone and trumpet players. Jazz for Bloomington is a local nonprofit group dedicated to the promotion of jazz in Bloomington and the surrounding areas.\nThe concert will follow the format of the NPR classical music show “From the Top,” which hosts young talented classical musicians who compete to perform on the show, said the show’s scholarship and talent coordinator, Kathryn Bacasmot.\n“We don’t usually play much in the way of jazz music,” Bacasmot said. “Mimicking our show would include a series of mock interviews followed by the actual musical performances.”\nBorrowing the format of the popular NPR show, students will perform jazz, instead of the traditional classical music lineup. \nThe event is part of a third annual concert by high-school students in the community, said Janice Jaffe, president of Jazz for Bloomington.\n“This is their time to shine,” Jaffe said. “It gives pre-college students an opportunity to be recognized by the Bloomington community. This is one way we really can encourage Jazz in the younger community.”\nJazz for Bloomington works with jazz musicians in the area and raises funds for the growth and promotion of the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. The organization conducts a variety of educational and affordable events at the John Waldron Arts Center throughout the year, including lectures, concerts and programs for public school students, according to its Web site. \nTickets for “Tickets for “The Future of Jazz” are available by e-mailing info@artlives.org. Prices are $10 for general admission, $8 for Jazz for Bloomington members, and free for children 8 and under.