Message from Festival Director
Dr. Mark Ammons:

We took a year off from the BYU Jazz Festival in 2011 so we could regroup and work on a new format. We’re back! We have been working closely with Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) and have come to an exciting agreement with them. We are now one of only 6 regional host sights for an Essentially Ellington festival.

The new name of the BYU festival is The BYU Essentially Ellington Regional Jazz Festival. It will be held at BYU on Saturday, March 3rd, 2012 in the Harris Fine Arts Center on the BYU Provo, Utah campus.

Your festival experience will include an adjudicated performance, a 30-minute post-performance clinic with one of the Essentially Ellington clinicians, written and recorded comments from all the judges, recording of your performance, a variety of clinics for directors and students, and tickets to the evening concert featuring the world renowned big band, Synthesis, with guest soloists.

All ensembles participating in the festival are required to join Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 2011–12 Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Program. By joining the free program, directors receive three new transcriptions of the music of Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie, Orchestra transcriptions, and three original arrangements by Benny Carter, as well as reference recordings, teaching guides, newsletters and other resources. You can join the program online by visiting jalc.org/EssentiallyEllington and completing an online membership form. For questions about the Essentially Ellington program or to receive a membership form by fax or mail, contact Amelia Stanley at 212-258-9812 or ee@jalc.org.

All ensembles will be required to perform three selections. One selection must be a swing tune, one a ballad, and one director’s choice from any genre. One of these three compositions, whether swing, ballad, Latin, etc., must be from Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington Series.

All eligible Essentially Ellington Series charts are published by Alfred Publishing Company and prominently feature an Essentially Ellington logo on the cover of the conductor’s score. Remember that in addition to the free charts received through membership with the 2011–12 Essentially Ellington program, you may also elect to perform any of the previously published charts (96 as of 2011). For a complete list of all the titles in the Essentially Ellington library, visit jalc.org/EssentiallyEllington and select “Repertoire and Recordings.” For questions about Essentially Ellington repertoire or to order print music from Jazz at Lincoln Center, contact Amelia Stanley at 212-258-9812 or ee@jalc.org.

We are looking forward to working again with you and your students and know you will have a wonderful performance and educational experience at our festival.

See you in March!

Sincerely,
Mark

Dr. Mark Ammons
Festival Director