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PHOTO COURTESY OF ARTIST

SPECIAL GUEST. Thomas Marriott will perform with Pierce College Jazz Ensemble during Jazz Expo 2008 on May 16.

Jazz expo brings Northwest talent to area

By Meghan Erkkinen

The Pierce College music department is gearing up yet again for a night of great music and tasty food at its Jazz Expo 2008.

The Jazz Expo is a 30-plus year tradition at Pierce College, aimed at raising money for music scholarships and showcasing students’ and local artists’ talent. This year’s expo, in addition to featuring the student Jazz Ensemble and Farwest Vocal Jazz, will feature Louise Rose and Thomas Marriott.

Rose, a motivational speaker and a musician, will perform at the piano at Jazz Expo 2008. She performs a variety of music – jazz, blues, gospel and original pieces. Rose founded the Victoria Good News Choir in 1997, and has served as the choir’s accompanist, music director and resident arranger since that time. She received an honorary doctorate of fine arts from the University of Victoria in 2001.

Marriott is a trumpeter and a Seattle native. He is a five-time winner of the Golden Ear award. In 1999, he won the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Competition. He has appeared on more than 50 recordings and film scores. His latest album is called “Crazy: The Music of Willie Nelson.” It was released earlier this year.

Before the Jazz Expo begins, Marriott will be providing an afternoon improvisation master class, which will be free and open to the public. During the expo, Marriott will perform with the Jazz Ensemble.

“He’s a great, great trumpet player,” said Kareem Kandi, director of the Pierce College Student Jazz Ensemble. “It’ll be a great show.”

The Jazz Ensemble, which features about 17 students, recently won in the Community College Jazz Ensemble Division for the fourth year in a row at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival at the University of Idaho.

The group will be performing a variety of songs at the Jazz Expo, including Charlie Parker’s “Anthropology,” Charles Mingus’ “Nostalgia in Times Square” and Kenny Durham’s “Blue Bossa.”

Farwest Jazz is directed by Kelly Kunz. It, too, has won numerous awards, including placing at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival and the Reno International Jazz Festival.

The annual Jazz Expo benefits the Pierce College music department in a variety of ways.

“It benefits the music program, because if there’s a skilled player…we can provide scholarships for tuition and provide private lessons,” Kandi said. “It helps us not only get good players for the program but get better players by offering private lessons and training.”

The work is paying off. Every year, the music program gets stronger and stronger, according to Kandi.

“I think the [Jazz Ensemble] is getting more recognized so better musicians are auditioning for the band year after year,” he said.

Last year, the event raised about $10,000, and Jere Knudtsen, coordinator of the music department, expects about the same this year.

“We usually get something in that neighborhood, which is kind of what we’re shooting for if things go well,” he said.

Jazz Expo 2008 will take place May 16. A no-host cocktail hour will begin at 6 p.m. and dinner will begin at 6:45 p.m. Tickets are $30. The event will take place at Pierce College Puyallup’s College Center Building, located at 1601 39th Ave. S.E. in Puyallup.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call (253) 912-3635.

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