Holt High School Jazz Band Performs Today at the Touhill

The spotlight at this weekend’s Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival on the University of Missouri, St. Louis (UMSL) campus will shine on such jazz luminaries as Grammy-winning trumpeter Clark Terry, pianist Mulgrew Miller, bassist Ron Carter and Grammy-winning group The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.

But sharing the same stage in UMSL’s spectacular Touhill Performing Arts Center will be the aspiring jazz greats in’s jazz band.

"This is one of the festivals we really look forward to," said Maggie Ramsay, the jazz band director at Holt. "Just being able to play in the Touhill is a really good experience for the kids."

Holt’s jazz band will play from 10 to 10:30 a.m., followed by a half-hour clinic during which it will receive constructive advice from an expert musician.

"One of the big reasons we like going to the UMSL jazz festival is for the clinic experience," Ramsay said. "A professional jazz musician sits down and really works with the kids on different things he was hearing in our performance. The kids really get a lot out of it--it’s a cool experience."

Senior Raisa Buenaventura, the jazz band’s lead trombonist since her freshman year, has attended the UMSL Jazz festival in the past and really likes the clinic.

"It’s a really fun experience because it helps me to become a better player," she said.

Sophomore Jacob Spiegel, who shares lead trumpet honors with senior Chandler Est, attended his first UMSL jazz fest last year.

"It was nice being able to perform in a very nice auditorium," he said. "The acoustics were nice, they gave us a fantastic recording, the guy giving the clinic was very helpful. It was a great experience for the jazz band. I know we went into our final month of school with more insight and knowledge about how to play the pieces that we were playing."

Chandler was equally impressed.

"The clinic is great," he said. "I feel like we really learn a lot because we are kind of a young program. It’s nice to see other bands that might be a little older or a little bit further ahead in experience play. We learn a little bit, and we have a lot of fun watching other people."

The Touhill is also a big step up from their usual high school venues.

"It’s a chance for us to show, not just our parents, but some of the other local schools how we’ve done so far this year," Chandler said. "But in a little bit more of a laid-back setting than tough competition."

Holt’s 20-member jazz band, which students must audition for, has been preparing about a month specifically for this performance. The band meets Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 6:30 to 7:10 a.m.--before the school day starts.

"It’s true dedication," Ramsay said.

The band features two drummers who alternate songs, two bass players who alternate songs, two alto saxophone players, two on tenor sax, one baritone sax, four trombonists, five trumpeters (who also play flugelhorn), a pianist and a vibraphonist. They will play three songs on the Touhill stage--the swing tune "Midnight Voyage," the Pat Metheny ballad "Afternoon" and Chick Corea’s Latin-flavored "Spain."

"I try to get a different style for each tune," Ramsay said.

Ramsay’s appreciation of jazz goes way back.

"I’ve always loved jazz," she said. "I’ve been in jazz band since high school, and I was in jazz band in college. It’s one of my favorite styles of music. So to be able to be the jazz director was always a goal of mine."

Ramsay, who is also the associate director of bands at Holt and , said jazz has a way of captivating listener and musician alike.

"It’s interesting music," she said. "It’s fun to play, and it’s also fun to listen to. It’s different."

One of the key elements of jazz is its improvisational aspect, allowing musicians to use a basic tune as a starting point but not necessarily a map that has to be followed turn by turn. "Midnight Voyage," which will feature Casey Diebold on lead tenor sax, is an example of this.

"He’s pretty much improvising the entire tune," Ramsay said.

The band, which will also perform at Holt’s spring concert on May 13, gets a good response from listeners.

"It’s always a really positive reaction," Ramsay said.

People recognize tunes, and the experience often stirs memories.

"We’ll have people come up to the band after performances and share their stories of when they were in jazz band in high school or college. It’s neat," she said.

The majority of the students in jazz band are juniors and seniors, and the group is a good mix of boys and girls. While jazz is a relatively new art form for them, they have a blast playing.

"I really like the music we play in jazz band," Chandler said. "More than some of the stuff we might play in marching or pep band or in concert band."

Raisa likes the improv element.

"I love jazz because it’s more free," she said. "I have more fun playing because the songs aren’t as uptight. You can do much more with it, and improv is really fun to me because you don’t have to look off a sheet of music and play from there. You can play whatever you want to play. So that’s a really unique thing."

Jacob also likes the freedom of jazz.

"I really like the chords you get to make, because everyone is playing their own part, for the most part," he said. "It’s free, and the screaming high notes on trumpet are always fun. It’s a break from the strict laws, if you will, of concert band. Jazz band is very liberal."

In addition to performances by many area high school jazz bands, the Jazz Festival lineup includes Clark Terry, Mulgrew Miller, Ron Carter, guitarist Russell Malone, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, and the UMSL Jazz Ensemble. Tickets are $20, $25 and $30 and are available by calling 314-516-4949 or going to www.touhill.org.

Take Interstate 70 east toward St. Louis to Exit 240 for Florissant Road toward University Blvd/Missouri N. Keep right at the fork, follow signs for Missouri N south, and merge onto University Blvd. Turn right at University Place Drive, then left at West Drive, right to stay on West Drive, then left toward University Blvd. Continue straight onto University Blvd.

The Touhill Performing Arts Center, at 1 University Blvd, will be on the left.