Vince DiMartino, a trumpet player who has performed with musical greats including Chuck Mangione, Lionel Hampton and Clark Terry, will be the guest artist for the annual TJC Jazz Festival.
He will share his considerable knowledge and performance skills with young musicians from area schools during Tyler Junior College’s annual Jazz Festival, Wednesday-Friday, Feb. 28-March 2, in Wise Auditorium on the TJC main campus.
DiMartino will perform with the TJC Jazz Ensembles at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday in Wise Auditorium.
Admission is free, and the public is invited to attend.
After graduating from the Eastman School of Music in 1972, DiMartino taught at the University of Kentucky until 1993. Since then, he has been Distinguished Artist in Residence at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, where he teaches trumpet, brass and jazz ensembles, and jazz history. Each summer, he teaches at Interlochen Center for the Arts in Interlochen, Michigan.
In addition to jazz, DiMartino has been a soloist with many symphony orchestras including Cincinnati, Buffalo, Sante Fe, North Carolina and others. He appeared as guest soloist with the Boston Pops on their 1999 summer tour and national television broadcast. He is prominently featured on some of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra’s most recent recordings including, “Mancini’s Greatest Hits,” “Bond and Beyond” and “Hollywood’s Greatest Hits.”
“It’s always a big thrill for us to bring someone of Vince’s caliber to come and work with our students,” said Heather Mensch, TJC assistant director of bands and professor of low brass. Mensch is also director of TJC Jazz Ensemble 1.
“The students get an idea of what it’s like to be a real, working musician by learning from someone who’s spent years in the profession, honing his craft.”
TJC Jazz Ensemble 1 students and their hometowns are: Robby Allen, Mesquite, Daniel Armstrong, Bullard; Paul Arriola, Tyler; Isaac Bernardo, Kaufman; Darren Castilaw, Lufkin; Collin Damskov, Tyler; Joseph Garza, Tatum; Devin Gilbert, Tyler; Hannah Kimble, Malakoff; Corey McCowin, DeSoto; John MaCoy, Canton; Peter Merts, Springtown; Kaylon Minnick-Key, Tyler; Adrian Sanchez, Cleveland; Garrett Shamburger, Whitehouse; and Blake Smith, Round Rock.
TJC Jazz Ensemble 2 is under the direction of Dr. Steven Meier, assistant director of bands and professor of woodwinds.
TJC Jazz Ensemble 2 students and their hometowns are: Hayden Bethany, Mansfield; Taryn Blackerby, Troup; Nathaniel Burton, Bullard; Justin Cooks, Tyler; Eduardo Ortiz, Tyler; Logan Pultz, Rhome; Matthew O’Dea, Tatum; Jonathan Olivares, Tyler; Jonathan Singleton, Jacksonville; BreShawn Tatum, Dallas; Ray Valentin, Tyler; Bethany Walker, Brownsboro; David Winfield, Irving; Luke Wingfield, Bryan; and Cody Woods, Nevada.
The festival will include music clinics and performances by area middle and high school jazz bands. Each group will perform for about 20 minutes, and then DiMartino will join them onstage and offer a critique of their performance.
The public is invited to attend the daytime clinics and performances, and admission is free.
Festival schedule:
Wednesday, Feb. 28, Wise Auditorium
• 6 p.m.: Robert E. Lee High School Jazz Ensemble 2
• 7 p.m.: Robert E. Lee HS Jazz Ensemble 1
• 8 p.m.: Robert E. Lee HS Jazz Combo
Thursday, March 1, Wise Auditorium
• 9 a.m.: The University of Texas at Tyler Jazz Ensemble
• 10 a.m.: Moore MST Magnet School Jazz Ensemble
• 11 a.m.: Mount Vernon HS Jazz Ensemble
• 1:30 p.m.: Texas City HS Jazz Ensemble
• 2:30 p.m.: Whitehouse HS Jazz Ensemble
• 3:30 p.m.: Redwater HS Jazz Ensemble
• 4:30 p.m.: Springtown HS Jazz Ensemble
• 7 p.m.: Pre-concert performance by Faber and Friends
• 7:30 p.m.: TJC Jazz Ensembles with Vince DiMartino and George Faber
Friday, March 2, Wise Auditorium
• 9 a.m.: Three Lakes Middle School Jazz Ensemble
• 10 a.m.: Chapel Hill HS Jazz Ensemble
• 11 a.m.: Boulter MS Jazz Ensemble
• 1:30 p.m.: Brownsboro HS Jazz Ensemble
• 2:30 p.m.: Kaufman HS Jazz Ensemble
• 3:30 p.m.: Brozos HS Jazz Ensemble
• 4:30 p.m.: Jobe MS Jazz Ensemble
• 7 p.m.: Pre-concert performance by TJC Faculty Jazz Combo
• 7:30 p.m.: TJC Jazz Ensembles with Vince DiMartino and George Faber
For more on TJC bands, go to www.tjc.edu/band.