All About Mr. Christopher Hanson
Director of Operations and Founder of the Jass Festival

Christopher Hanson of Fargo, North Dakota is the founder of the Jass Festival and has served as the Festival Director for all fourteen years of its existence. The festival began in 1995 in his hometown of Minot. The performance was initially organized as a one-time going-away event for Christopher when he was preparing to depart North Dakota for a military enlistment in the US Army. However, based on the popularity of the concept, the festival carried on with Christopher organizing the event from his various duty stations.

Christopher graduated high school in Minot in 1995 and joined the military in November of that year. During his time in the Army, he was stationed in South Carolina and Virginia, and for over three years, at Fort Sam Houston, Texas in the heart of San Antonio. In the Army Band, Hanson served as a featured trombone soloist with the jazz ensemble and worked in additional duty positions to include Operations and Training. During those same three years, Christopher was active as a freelance musician during his off-duty time, performing with various rock, country, Latin, and jazz bands and ensembles. During that time period, Hanson also attended classes at the University of Texas- San Antonio.

Upon the end of his active duty enlistment, he returned to North Dakota to attend school at NDSU in Fargo. Since arriving back home, Christopher has performed as a bassist and trombonist with countless bands and ensembles to include Patents Pending, Tripp 40, Helena Handbasket, the FM Community Theatre, Little Country Theatre, the FM Chamber Chorale, the Living Hope Baptist Worship Band, and numerous chamber ensembles performing everything from jazz to classical. He serves on the Jazz Arts Group Board of Directors and is a member of the Jazz Arts Group Education Committee. Also, he has performed as the lead trombonist in the Jazz Arts Group Big Band since 2003. Hanson also serves as the musical director of the Imperial Big Band of the El Zagel Shrine. In addition to all of those groups and ensembles, he is also a member of the North Dakota Army National Guard, assigned to the 188th Army Band in Fargo. In this unit, he serves as a trombonist and bassist, and is the chief arranger and musical director of Blues in Green, a widely requested rock and horn ensemble in the North Dakota National Guard.

Throughout his musical career, Hanson has performed and soloed with his jazz heroes to include Andy Martin, Randy Brecker, Wayne Bergerson, and Slide Hampton, and has also performed with Loretta Lynn, Janie Fricke, and the Four Tops just to name a few. He has also performed in bands that shared the stage with Tim McGraw, Lorrie Morgan, and Chris LeDoux. Christopher is currently serving on active duty with the North Dakota Army National Guard as the Assistant Team Leader for Military Funeral Honors Southeast, an organization dedicated to providing military funeral honors to all men and women who have worn the uniform defending the United States of America.