Pushing Forward
June 20, 2012
Things are looking amazing for Jass 2012! With the help of the Fargo American Legion Family along with my trusted partners in the staff of the Jass Festival, things are moving forward and I couldn't be more excited! The musicians are locking in and we're looking at some fine performances. The American Legion is putting together great children's activities both indoors and outdoors! Eckroth Music and Games Galore have donated their time to help put the show on! Things are looking outstanding.
Stay tuned, we're hitting our stride and things are getting bigger and better!
Jass Festival Planning Continues
June 6, 2012
The Jass Festival has now secured rehearsal space courtesy of the 188th Army Band at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Fargo. Rain sites have been booked in Legacy Ballroom of the American Legion.
Also, the big band is now officially staffed and the combo and vocal jazz groups are being worked towards full staffing! The ensembles are looking great!
Finally, a charitable organization has been chosen for the festival. This year, we will collect items for the VA Hospital and the North Dakota Veteran's Home. More information on the needs of both of these fine organizations will be posted shortly.
Venue Location Secured, Musicians Invited
May 16, 2012
The 2012 Jass Festival is proud to announce that their performances will be held in downtown Fargo at the American Legion on their beautiful outdoor stage. Both the Saturday night performance and the Sunday festival concerts will be held on the outdoor stage. Rain site planning is still in the works with the American Legion.
Also, musicians have been invited as of this morning - we're excited to start staffing the performing groups once again. With the pool of outstanding talent in the Fargo-Moorhead area, it's never difficult to put together incredibly talented ensembles to perform at the Jass Festival!
More to follow, stay tuned!
2012 Jass Planning Begins
May 15, 2012
The 2012 Jass Festival has officially announced the dates of the festival taking place August 17-19, 2012. Rehearsals are anticipated to take place at the Fargo Armed Forces Reserve Center. The Saturday night promotional concert is anticipated to take place at a location to be determined in downtown Fargo. The Sunday festival concerts will also be held at a location in downtown Fargo spanning throughout the afternoon. Stay tuned, locations should be locked in shortly.
Young high school and college musicians are being sought out to perform in the Jass ensembles to be featured at the festival concert. Directors have been offered positions and we should have the staff solidified sometime in the next week which will allow us to being staffing the ensembles.
Stay tuned for more information on the festival, we'll have more next week!
Jass Festival Details Solidified
July 20, 2011
The Jass Festival is quickly shifting from planning mode to promotion mode as details for the festival are nearly complete. Sites and venues are now official as well as scheduled events. An intimate concert at
Ecce Art Studio on Saturday, August 13th at 8:00pm has been scheduled as well as the festival concerts at
The Bluestem Center for the Arts on Sunday, August 14th from 2:00pm-5:00pm. Also, a clinic session is scheduled for 1:00pm at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in north Fargo on Saturday, August 13th.
In addition to those events, rehearsals have been officially booked into the Armed Forces Reserve Center to be hosted by the North Dakota Army National Guard's
188th Army Band. The organization will also feature two of their jazz ensembles during the Sunday festival of concerts at Bluestem.
The Jass Festival has received a great deal of support from
The Bluestem Center for the Arts as they have chosen to host our concert at their venue. The festival will take place on the beautiful Imagine Amphitheater, a state-of-the-art facility that we know you will enjoy!
In addition to the shows at Bluestem Center for the Arts, concessions will be offered by Bluestem and children's activities will be offered as well to include games, coloring, face painting and an Instrumental Petting Zoo provided by
Eckroth Music.
Also supporting the festival this year is a generous donation for our event insurance from
Living Hope Baptist Church of West Fargo. We appreciate their help in making Jass Festival events happen!
All Jass Festival events are free of charge and open to the public, all ages welcomed! Folks attending the Sunday festival concerts are encouraged to bring a cleaning supply to be donated to the families and citizens of Bismarck, Mandan, Minot and the surrounding communities that were affected by flooding. These items will be distributed to those who are beginning the task of cleaning their homes after river water invaded their homes.
Stay tuned for more information as it comes in- we're excited to see you at the festival events!
2011 Jass Planning Begins
May 4, 2011
The 2011 Jass Festival has officially announced the dates of the festival and the location of the festival concerts. The festival will take place August 12-14, 2011. Rehearsals are being planned to take place once again at North Dakota State University. The Saturday night promotional concert is being planned to take place at Studio 222 in downtown Fargo. The festival concerts will be held on the stage of the Imagine Amphitheater at the Bluestem Center for the Arts in south Moorhead.
The official planning for the festival weekend has begun with the planning for rehearsals, a series of short clinics and the concerts. Young high school and college musicians are being sought out to perform in the Jass ensembles to be featured at the festival concert. The 188th Army Band will also participate this year providing two ensembles to perform.
Stay tuned for more information on the festival!
The Jass Festival Links Up with Soldiers' Angels
August 1, 2010
The Jass Festival will be teaming up with the Soldiers' Angels this year as their charity partner for the big concert on Sunday, August 13th. The festival staff asks that all those who plan on attending the Sunday show bring a bag Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pops or Blow Pops to be donated to this fine organization. These items will be delivered to chaplains in Afghanistan and Iraq. This fundraising campaign, Suckers for Soldiers, helps lift service member’s spirits and assist in keeping them alert on their mission. For more information, please go to
http://www.soldiersangels.org or e-mail Shelle Michaels at
shellemichaels@soldiersangels.org.
Potential Performance Spots and New News
May 27, 2010
The concert site for 2010 will be at Davy Park in Moorhead. Moorhead Parks coupled with the FM Jazz Arts Group will be helping present this show this summer.
We're also locking up our three performing ensembles for the festival. Go to the 2010 Lineup Page to see who will be performing this year. We are still in search of a piano player and any jazz vocalists who might be interested in participating!
Potential Performance Spots and New News
April 25, 2010
We've narrowed it down to two possibilities for the site of our 2010 performance- either at the Trollwood Performing Arts School in south Moorhead or at Trollwood Park in Fargo- stay tuned for the final decision which will be made in the near future.
Also, our first wave of invitations have been sent to stock up our performing groups for the festival and we're slowly getting confirmations as the days go by. Go to the 2010 Lineup Page to see who has locked themselves in. We have a nice combo of returning members from previous years, players from last year, and brand new members coming onboard for Jass 2010!
UPDATE: The Jass Festival is Researching New Concert Locations, Rehearsal Spot Locked In
April 19, 2010
Please be advised that this year's concert will not be held at Island Park as it traditionally has been over the past couple of summers. Upon request to utilize the beautiful Island Park Gazebo, I was informed that it has already been booked for our concert date. So, I'm currently in search of a new concert location. We will hopefully be able to utilize another one of the Fargo Park District's fine community parks as a venue. The practice of holding our shows as traditional park concerts free and open to the public will hopefully continue.
NDSU has once again graciously granted us permission to utilize the Music Education Building for our rehearsals. Special thanks to Mr. Bill Law for his continued support and aid in providing us with a fine location to prepare our concerts.
Stay tuned for more information on the festival!
Jass 2010 Organization Begins
April 8, 2010
The organization stage for the Sixteenth Annual Jass Festival is underway. Dates have been set with rehearsals and clinics scheduled for August 13th and 14th and the annual concert on August 15th at 3:00pm. Preliminary planning places the rehearsals at NDSU and the concert at Island Park just as it has happened for the past few years. Clinics are being planned for this year as well as open rehearsals. Also, an attempt to bring back the Vocal Jazz Group will take place over the next few months. A few other surprises are in the works which include the possibility of bringing in guest clinicians from around the nation. Stay tuned for more information as it comes up.
If you are interested in being a part of a performing group at the Jass Festival this year (saxophone, trumpet, trombone, bass, piano, guitar, drums, or vocals) or if you are interested in assisting with the festival (concessions, photography, sound, and support), please CONTACT ME as soon as possible!
Dorothy Day House of Hospitality Announced as Partner of The Jass Festival
July 14, 2009
The Jass Festival is proud to announce that they will be teaming up with the Dorothy Day House of Hospitality and the Dorothy Day Food Pantry for this years festival. We will be asking everyone who comes to the show to donate a non-perishable food item or a hygiene item to the Dorothy Day House of Hospitality to help needy families in the FM area. The items that are needed most include: dry pasta, beans (canned of bagged), canned fruit, cereal, hearty soups, healthy snacks, rice, ketchup, mustard, peanut butter, coffee, sugar, dry creamer, all types of toiletries, and gift cards to businesses such as grocery stores or hardware stores. Please remember to bring one of these items to the performances so that we can help stock up the shelves at the Dorothy Day House of Hospitality.
For more information about the Dorothy Day House of Hospitality, please go to http://www.fmddh.org/.
Still Looking for Players
July 6, 2009
As the past couple of days have gone by, we have had a few of our players from the big band back out for various reasons. So, we're looking for a couple of strong players to join up with the band! The band plays a variety of challenging charts on their 35 minute program during the Jass Festival. Varying styles and forms of jazz are brought to the table giving musicians a chance to taste all types of big band charts out there.
WE ARE NEED OF A TRUMPET PLAYER WHO HAS SOME LEAD AND SOLO EXPERIENCE. WE ARE ALSO NEED OF A SAXOPHONE PLAYER WHO HAS SOME LEAD AND SOLO EXPERIENCE EITHER ON ALTO OR TENOR SAXOPHONE. IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, PLEASE CONTACT US RIGHT AWAY!
Jass Festival 2009 Taking Form
July 5, 2009
Once again, the Jass Festival will go on in Fargo from August 14th through August 16th, 2009! The groundwork has now officially been laid and the show will go on again. Per tradition, Island Park will host the performance on Sunday, August 16th. The only change from previous years is that the show will start at 3:00pm instead. Three groups will be performing once again in the familiar format of a jazz trio, a jazz combo, and a big band. Support has already come to the festival from the Army National Guard, NDSU, Fargo Parks, and the Fargo-Moorhead Jazz Arts Group. The big band personnel are nearly locked in and the combo groups have been selected and locked in. Be sure to check back with the site for more information as it comes in. We look forward to another great concert at the historical gazebo at Island Park!
Another Festival in the Books
August 13, 2008
The fourteenth presentation of the Jass Festival went down this past Sunday and you couldn't ask for a better day for a concert in the park. About 200 people converged upon Island Park to hear some of the finest young jazz musicians in the area. The weather was perfect- 80 degrees, partly sunny, and a light wind.
I wish to thank everyone who was involved in making the Jass Festival a success. Special thanks goes out to the following: Fargo Parks, Eddie Schwind, NDSU, Erbert and Gerbert's of Moorhead, YWCA Cass Clay, Skip Spoerke, The FM Jazz Arts Group, Living Hope Baptist Church of West Fargo, the Green Mill, WDAY, KFGO, The High Plains Reader, The Fargo Forum, the City of Fargo, Cable One, the North Dakota Army National Guard, the 188th Army Band, Justen Reed, DeAnn Fylling, Tanya Beseler, Aaron Beseler, Robin Fried, Jessy Klimpel, Alex Berg, and Tim Johnson. A great debt of thanks must also be sent out to the crowd who came to support the show. Support for young musicians is important, and your showing of support will only elevate their drive to perform. Finally, the largest chunk of gratitude must go to the musicians who performed. Thank you for taking time out of your summer to perform with the Jass Festival. Without good musicians, the festival would not be possible.
Keep your eyes peeled- more Jass events will be organized throughout the upcoming year. Thank you for your support, and we look forward to seeing you again whether it be at a show, a concert, or a recital!
Promotional Work Has Begun
July 24, 2008
Promotional work has begun as we inch closer and closer to the upcomig Jass Festival. A 3,000 postcard mailing will go out at the end of the month advertising the performance. Also, color posters will be going out sometime next week- we're in search of volunteers to help with the distrobution of those posters, by the way! The first round of press releases will go out this weekend, and hopefully we'll be able to get the word out through our local media outlets. The excitement continues to build as we near August 10th!
Jass to Collect Items for the YWCA Cass Clay
July 14, 2008
Jass will conduct another outreach program this festival as they have teamed up with the YWCA Cass Clay. During the festival performance, we will be accepting donations of essential items that will be donated to the YWCA. Items that are in critical need include any and all types of food, deodorant, and baby formula. For a complete listing of items that the YWCA is in need of, please to go
http://www.ywcacassclay.org/donations/current_needs.html.
Work Continues
July 10, 2008
The work continues as the fourteenth Jass Festvial approaches. Press work will begin within the next week with posters, media releases, and the processing and mailing of 3,000 postcards to jazz lovers in the FM area. Also, the Green Mill has signed on to support the festival by providing a meal free of charge on Sunday of the festival to all performers and staff. Last, but most certainly not least, the big band now has a director. Tim Johnson has signed on to take on the duty. Mr. Johnson is the band director at DGF Middle School in Dilworth, Minnesota and has been an active trombone and bass guitar performer in the Fargo-Moorhead area for some years. He is also active with the Fargo-Moorhead Jazz Arts Group. We look forward to seeing what he can do with the big band during the Jass weekend!
More Jass Progress
June 26, 2008
Progress continues as the Jass Festival is on line to yet another successful presentation in Fargo. As of this week, the venue has been secured, rehearsal space has been booked, and one meal has been donated. Other meals are being lined up as well and promotional support is being gathered. The Jazz Arts Group is providing much needed support to the festival and is aiding in searching out the best ways to bring more people to the show. Four season tickets for the Jazz Arts Group Big Band will be given away during the show- all donated by JAG. Erbert and Gerbert's will be donating the Friday night meal. The Fargo Park District has once again agreed to allow Island Park to be used for the concert, and NDSU has agreed to host all rehearsal activities free of charge. The combos are fully booked and the big band is nearly fully booked, and all is looking good at this point. Keep visiting to see more news as the festival planning timeline continues.
The Christopher Hanson Jazz Quintet Added to the Lineup
June 10, 2008
In an effort to fill up performance slots for the Jass Festival, the Christopher Hanson Jazz Quintet was created to put together a portion of the show in August. It will feature some of the best kept secrets in Fargo as far as the FM jazz community is concerned. Eddie Schwind will perform along with Craig Hillig and Tom Christianson. Hanson and Chris Gould will fill out the group. They will play a variety of jazz styles from traditional to new-age fusion.
Jazzerama Cancelled
May 15, 2008
After some review with the Jazz Arts Group and the JAG Education Committee, we regret to put out the news that the Jazzerama program will not be a part of the Jass Festival this summer. Due to a lack of interest and low numbers, the Jazz Arts Group has chosen to cancel their portion for the time being. We regret that we won't be able to involve them this year, but we hope to find a way to make this endeavor more feasible in the future.
Rehearsal Locations and Venue Sites Being Researched
March 31, 2008
Plans have gone forward for the Jass Festival and Jazzerama as practice facilities have been booked and the performance venues are being negotiated. North Dakota State University has agreed to host all rehearsals and clinics for the festival while the Fargo Park District is looking into Island Park as the site for the final performance. A rain site is also being negotiated. Stay tuned for more information as it is confirmed concerning the Jass Festival and Jazzerma!
Jass Festival and Jazzerama Partership Proposed
February 21, 2008
The Jass Festival is currently working on a partership with the Fargo-Moorhead Jazz Arts Group to produce a full fledged jazz festival in the park this coming August. Utilizing the Jazzerama education project (organized and run by the Jazz Arts Group) and the Jass Festival concept, the two organizations are drafting plans to showcase six-eight jazz groups at an all-day festival during the regular Jass Festival timeline in August. Look here for more information as it comes in.
