Last night the LPS Jazz Showcase was held in the Newton Middle School auditorium.

Heritage, Littleton and Arapahoes’ Jazz bands performed and unlike most high school events, the festival was paired with performances from the Jazz bands of Newton, Goddard, Powell and Euclid middle schools. Each middle school held their own along side the older bands, performing with the effort, the energy and the rhythm expected at a jazz concert. 

Arapahoe’s Jazz Band 2 opened for the high school half of the concert. Followed by Heritage’s Jazz band 2. Both ensembles had a strong presence on stage.

Arapahoe’s Jazz Combo Band performed third, each member performing on stage with aviator sunglasses. The Jazz Combo is a relatively new ensemble and has represent the first time in years that Arapahoe has had a second jazz ensemble. The Combo played a smooth set starting with Dave Brubeck’s’ Take 5 and was the only group to feature a bass solo.

Littleton’s ensemble performed fourth with a heavy theme of swing which brought a lively and classic mood to the concert.

The last group to preform was Heritage’s Jazz Band 1. Trombonist Micah Newquist carried solos in each song and used a plunger head for his trombone mute.

There was a passion in Heritage’s performance that forced the audience into spontaneous cheering and clapping and ended the festival with excitement.

The Jazz Showcase was a cabernet evening concentrated with the brewing talent being harbored in both the middle and high school jazz ensembles of the district.

There is a heart of love for jazz in Denver, one that often is unnoticed if not listened for. But if you are listening you find it is a loud community. Along with attending future district jazz concerts there are jazz clubs like the Nocturne and Dazzle Denver to be explored and of course every loyal Denver jazz minion knows to tune into KUVO radio.

I recommend (and will myself be) making an appearance at the upcoming Jazz band concerts for any and all of these ensembles.

Below are the links to some of the Jazz Bands website and subsequently their upcoming events.

High school Jazz Bands: 

https://www.arapahoeband.com/jazz-band

https://www.heritagebands.net/jazz-band

Middle school Jazz Bands:

https://littletonpublicschools.net/schools/powell-middle-school/jazz-band

https://littletonpublicschools.net/schools/goddard-middle-school/ann/band-jazz-concerts

https://littletonpublicschools.net/schools/euclid-middle-school/band

https://sites.google.com/a/lps.k12.co.us/instrumental-music/classes?authuser=0