Newberry College to Host 54th Annual Jazz Festival

NEWBERRY, S.C., March 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Newberry College is set to host its 54th annual Jazz Festival this weekend, highlighting high school jazz bands and performers from across the state. The occasion is one of the longest-running jazz festivals in the country, and will feature renowned bassists Victor Wooten and Steve Bailey, also known as Bass Extremes.

Wooten, a founding member of Bela Fleck and the Fleckstones, has won multiple Grammy Awards and has been called the most influential bassist of the last decade. Bailey, once a student performer at the festival, has worked with such names as Dizzy Gillespie, The Rippingtons and Willie Nelson.

Also performing will be two All-State Bands, composed of outstanding high school musicians from throughout the state who have been selected through auditions. The Newberry College Jazz Big Band just finished its annual spring tour, and will perform a selection of music under the leadership of Bill Long, Associate Professor of Music and Director of Bands.

"This Jazz Festival is a great example of how Newberry College sees the integration of music and the arts as an essential part of its educational mission and of its role in the community," said Newberry College President Dr. V. Scott Koerwer. "Both the college and the community have become an essential place for young musicians to not only showcase their talents amidst such a high caliber of performers, but also to continue to immerse themselves in the vast world of music and the arts."

The performances are open and free to the public, and begin Saturday, March 5 at 11:30 a.m. at the Wiles Chapel on the Newberry Campus. The high school bands will perform for the judges starting at 9 a.m. in the Alumni Music Center.

About Newberry College

A private, residential, co-educational, college with a diverse student population, Newberry College offers baccalaureate degrees in 24 majors, 31 minors, and 27 areas of concentration. Founded in 1856 by the Lutheran Church, the college is accredited by The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, and the National Association of Schools of Music. The college has a radio and television station, and offers 15 NCAA Division II sports. In the recent 2011 ranking of the Best Colleges in U.S. News & World Report, Newberry College placed in the top tier of regional colleges in the South.  For more information, visit www.newberry.edu.

SOURCE Newberry College