Students Jam At The 32nd Annual Evening Of Jazz

More than 75 high school and middle school students performed at the 32nd annual “Evening of Jazz” event held at Haverford High School on Wednesday night.

Students performed music by jazz greats such as Count Basie, Herbie Hancock and Duke Ellington, as the audience was tapping their feet throughout the evening’s performance.

Performing in the program were the Middle School Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Band, directed by music teachers Michael Norton and Dr. Tom Rudolph. For the high school, Stephen Russo, Michael Fein and Dr. Drew Shanefield rounded out the directorial staff.

Musical director for the event Rudolph started the “Evening of Jazz” program 32 years ago as a new music teacher in the Haverford School District.  Rudolph was a jazz music major at Temple University. He also worked professionally in the Philadelphia area as a contract musician for jazz artists performing on local stages.

He said that his vision to bring professional musicians to Haverford students started after a freelance job working with jazz great Louie Bellson. He talked with Bellson about his students and asked if he would come talk to and play alongside them, he recalled. Bellson did and professional jazz musicians have been a highlight of the event each year.

Rudolph praises the students for their hard work each year and says his “primary goal is to create a mini-professional atmosphere, giving the kids role models to aspire to and a lifelong love of jazz music. It is very rewarding to help create a memorable experience for the kids.”

Former students still attend the event each year and have even become music teachers themselves. In fact, two of those students are now colleagues, Shanefield and Michael Fein.

Students start practicing for the event in October of each year and many said they were nervous as they took the stage, but it certainly did not show in their performances.

This was the last “Evening of Jazz” event for senior Nathan Jack, who has looked forward to the program each year.

“It’s a lot of fun and I’ll miss it,” he said.

Senior Ben Blumenstock was playing his first guitar performance of the year at the event, but without the presence of his dad Jim, who was still hospitalized after a double knee replacement. However, his father sent a message of praise to his son from his hospital bed, which was read on stage at the event and brought a smile to Ben’s face.

Eileen Lang, mother to Steven Lang, who plays the saxophone for the Middle School Jazz Ensemble, said the performance was “wonderful.”

Havertown resident Roy Sandstrom had no children performing in the program, but he has been coming to the event for the last six years. He said the event is a “hidden gem in Havertown and the performances are extraordinary. It is great to hear the kids play so well. And where else can you get to hear great jazz music from the students and also hear a professional jazz band for such a great price?”

The professional group at the event was Jazz pianist John John Di Martino and the Philadelphia All Stars, playing such songs as “Nearness of You.”  

Di Martino spent most of the day with students in workshops before the night’s program. A native of Philadelphia, he has performed around the world, including Carnegie Hall and the People’s Republic of China.

The night was also a fundraising event for the district music program. Money raised at the event will go towards the purchase of music equipment and workshops for the students.