BELLEFONTE - This Saturday the streets of Bellefonte will be filled with music - jazz music.
Saturday is the biggest music day of the annual JazzPA festival in the borough which begins tonight.
While many have been known to say they don't like jazz, it might be because they don't understand what jazz encompasses. Much of the music they DO love got started with jazz.
A conversation a few years back with one of the performers at the festival, Arthur Goldstein, explained how many forms of music found their roots in jazz, like the blues, soul and even rock music. The big band and swing period of the '40s was a great jazz era, and many people don't even consider that part of the jazz world.
Goldstein's career in music speaks for itself. His academic background includes an M.A. in English Literature from the University of Pittsburgh and an MFA in composition from Penn State with emphasis in piano. He has studied jazz with Bill Dobbins at the Eastman School of Music and with Joe Lovano and Ken Werner at the Sandpoint Festival. To find out more about Goldstein's music visit his website at www.arthurgoldstein.com.
The jazz festivals always bring big names to Bellefonte where local musicians and the high school jazz bands get a chance to learn from current masters.
This year Bellefonte, Penns Valley and State College high school jazz bands will perform.
Listeners also will have the privilege of hearing Warren Vache on the trumpet and cornet. He is known for his work with Benny Goodman, Rosemary Clooney, Benny Carter, Hank Jones, Gerry Mulligan, Woody Herman and Bobby Short, among others. He will perform and give pointers to high school musicians and others in his master class Saturday afternoon.
Performing once again will be the Russ Kassoff Trio, with Jay Anderson (bass) and Dennis Mackrel (drums), playing two evening sets at the American Philatelic Society (APS) in the Old Match Factory.
The Friends Band, made up of a lot of local musicians, with Catherine Dupuis and the Russ Kassoff Trio will perform on the big stage on High Street for everyone's enjoyment. If you like big band music, you will want to make sure to catch this on Saturday. The band will have a public rehearsal at 9:30 a.m. and perform at 1 p.m.
There is almost always a form of jazz that everyone enjoys, and the schedule offers sounds to match everyone's tastes.
Now, who says you don't like jazz?
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