Jazzing up the nights

STAFF WRITER

[email protected]

link Staff photo: Joshua Lucero

Assistant Professor of Music Richard Schwartz performs a solo during the festivals opening Saturday evening. Schwartz directed the jazz ensemble and played saxophone during Saturday’s performance.

Once a year, Eastern New Mexico University’s Jazz Fest brings a different style of music to the ears of students and locals.

During the event’s Friday and Saturday night shows, attendees were able to experience original and standard jazz compositions performed by ENMU’s jazz ensemble, jazz combos, and local high school musicians.

ENMU graduate student Kurt Munz said he goes to the festival every year to experience the variety of jazz the festival showcases.

Munz said Saturday that he attended both nights of the festival to catch both the jazz combo and jazz ensemble performances.

“I love all of the different stuff they do,” Munz said of the variety of jazz compositions.

Julie Ellison, of Clovis, said she likes being able to hear the talents of local musicians side by side with guest artists like this year’s guest pianist and composer Bill Dobbins.

Ellison said she thinks the festival is important to the community because it brings a style of music to the area that doesn’t come around often.

Munz said he likes that the festival is able to expose high school students and locals to a genre of music they would not be able to experience in a live setting without traveling to a larger city.

Ellison said she believes everyone should be able to experience different types of music in person.

“Music is an international language, one language everyone understands,” Ellison said. “I think it’s important for everyone to experience different styles of it.”