Clark College to host 61st annual jazz festival

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Clark College will host its 61st annual jazz festival in a three-day celebration of jazz, running from Jan. 30 to Feb. 1. School-age jazz ensembles from across Washington and Oregon will compete in the festival, which will also feature a number of concerts.

Student bands will compete to earn the annual Clark College Jazz Festival trophies, awarded to the top three jazz ensembles for middle school and A through AAAA division high schools. On Saturday, the Dale Beacock Memorial Sweepstakes Award will be presented to one outstanding band, a press release by Clark College stated.

Daily admission is $10 per person. The event will take place at Gaiser Student Center, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver.

Competitions will begin at 8 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 30, and run throughout the day. The second day’s competitions will begin at 9 a.m., Friday Jan. 31. The third day’s competitions will begin at 8 a.m. Finals competitions will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings, the press release stated.



Afrobeat and Juju music band JUJUBA will kick off the festival in a special ticketed fundraising concert at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29. The Clark County Jazz Band will open the performance. Only 400 seats are available. Tickets at the opening concert can be purchased at the door for $20 cash-only, the press release stated.

The Clark College Jazz Band will also perform periodically throughout the festival. The band will play at 4:40 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 30 under the direction of festival director Dr. Doug Harris. The band will perform again at 7:45 p.m. Jan. 31, and at 12:20 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1.

The 2024 Sweepstakes Band — the Bothell High School jazz band — under the direction of Phil Dean, will hold the spotlight during a concert at 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 1, the press release stated.

The Clark College Jazz Festival began in 1962, when Hud­son’s Bay High School band director Don Cammack organized a one-day high school stage band invitational for schools from Clark and Skamania coun­ties. For more information about the event, visit Clark College’s website at shorturl.at/gPWDF.