Maplerock Jazz Festival

Ashland University’s award-winning Jazz program is proud to present the 2012 Maplerock Jazz Festival slated for Friday, March 16. Along with free performances by area high school jazz ensembles in the afternoon, the event presents a main stage concert at 7:30 p.m. in Hugo Young Theatre featuring guest artist and jazz violinist Zach Brock and his trio The Magic Number. The afternoon performances are free and open to the public while tickets for the evening concert are available through the Ashland University Box Office at 419.289.5125, 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, or online (additional fees apply) at www.ashland.edu/tickets.

One of the most virtuosic and emotive voices of contemporary jazz violin, Zach Brock has followed a path which embraces not only jazz, but also classical, world, and popular music. From critical acclaim as a bandleader to international exposure in collaborations with Stanley Clarke, Grazyna Auguscik, and Frank Vignola, Zach continues to gain admiration from both jazz purists and music enthusiasts alike. Zach’s repertoire includes re-workings of songs by Jimi Hendrix, John Coltrane, Phil Markowitz, and Zbigniew Seifert, in addition to an evolving catalogue of his own compositions. His latest CD The Magic Number offers a telling glimpse of why Zach is being heralded as “the pre-eminent improvising violinist of his generation.” (Neil Tesser, Chicago Examiner)

The Magic Number is an acoustic trio with Zach on violin, Matt Wigton on bass, and Fred Kennedy on drums, as well as wordless vocals and pitched percussion. The group’s unusual instrumentation allows for a wide variety of sounds, from sparse to dense, and the group’s repertoire is a mix of Zach’s original compositions with original arrangements of modern and classic jazz and pop standards.

The Jazz Festival's fternoon performances begin at 1:30 p.m. with Ashland High School Jazz Band B, followed at 2:00 p.m. with Rittman High School Jazz Band; Lakewood High School Jazz Band at 2:30 p.m., and conclude with Ashland High School Jazz Band A at 3:00 p.m.

Fresh off their spring tour of Spain, the evening concert begins with several selections performed by the Ashland University Jazz Orchestra led by Ashland University Associate Professor of Music Dr. Scott Garlock. Works performed will be selected from jazz favorites including Satin Doll, In the Mood, Come Rain or Come Shine; along with newer arrangements such as Semi-Mental Journey, Besame Mucho and Tio Jorge. Immediately following the Ashland University Jazz Orchestra, Zach Brock and The Magic Number will headline the evening concert.

Tickets: $12 for adults; $5 for senior citizens, non-Ashland University students and Ashland University faculty and staff; FREE for Ashland University students.