South Texas High School Bands to compete during First Island Jazz Festival at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
 
The first Island Jazz Festival will be held on Saturday, March 6 at the Warren Theatre on campus from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  It is free and open to the public.
 
According to Music Department Chair Jim Rennier, the Festival was created to benefit area high school jazz education programs. High school jazz groups will compete before a panel of visiting jazz artists and educators. Schools from Corpus Christi, Laredo and Weslaco will participate in full jazz band and jazz combo categories.
 
“We are extremely exited about this event,” noted Rennier. “The students have an opportunity to be rated, they will hear a concert by noted jazz artists, and they will attend a jazz clinic. In addition to this, four $500 scholarships to attend the University have been provided by Mr. Shelby Jordan, and they will be awarded to the top student in improvisation, reed, brass and rhythm section performance.”
 
The Festival will feature a concert by guest artist Tony Campise with the A&M-Corpus Christi Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Eddie Olivares. Campise is an international artist who has performed on saxophone and flute world-wide with jazz great Stan Kenton. Campise is the former director of jazz studies at the University of Houston and performs with the Houston Pops Orchestra.
 
Campise’s rhythm section at the Festival includes local jazz musicians Kevin Hill on bass  and Paul Bowman on drums, plus Vince Genova, a newly appointed member of the A&M-Corpus Christi music faculty, on piano. Campise will also conduct a clinic for attending students.
 
“Jazz is a long-standing tradition in Corpus Christi,” said Rennier. “We are fortunate that the University is supported by the Texas Jazz Festival endowment in honor of Wanda Gregory. The Festival itself is being underwritten by Whataburger with additional support provided by Holiday Inn Emerald Beach.”

Judging the student groups will be Bob Morgan, who directed Houston's High School for the Performing and Visual Art’s Jazz Ensemble; Bill Lee, who founded the International Association of Jazz Educators; and Loren Hall, retired Corpus Christi ISD music coordinator.