Cougs earn Lionel Hampton awards

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WSU Big Band I practicing “Reflections of Blue” under the direction of Brian Ward on Tuesday.

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Just seven miles away, one of the country’s largest student jazz festivals — the University of Idaho’s Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival — takes place every year.

WSU’s jazz bands, Big Bands I and II, took top honors at the festival while soloists David Berry on piano and Machado Mijiga on tenor sax won awards for College Instrumental Soloists.

For the first time in 11 years, Lionel Hampton is once again a competitive festival. Students in middle school, high school or college bands perform for judges who give scores and feedback. Bands can also attend workshops by world-renowned jazz musicians.

WSU used to bring its jazz bands to Lionel Hampton every year, back when the event was non-competitive, but then they stopped going. In 2014, jazz studies professor Brian Ward started bringing the bands back.

“My goal is to expose students to more jazz music. I want them to go to the concerts, the workshops, it’s a great opportunity for them,” Ward said. “Normally, you’d have to travel thousands of miles to go to these kind of festivals. But for this to be seven miles away, it’s a no-brainer.”

Big Band I won the college division for Large Ensemble under Ward’s direction. Big Band II, under the direction of graduate student Alison Poteracke, received honorable mention.

The bands performed pieces including “She Ain’t,” composed by Ward, “Insomnia,” composed by Poteracke and “Wine and Roses,” composed by Greg Yasinitsky, director of the WSU School of Music.

Berry played piano in a jazz combo featuring an electric bass, an electric guitar and drums. The group played “Bellarosa” by Elmo Hope, and “Bea,” an original composition by WSU saxophone professor David Hagelganz, who was also an adjudicator at Lionel Hampton.

“To receive an award the first year Lionel Hampton is competitive again is really cool,” Berry said. “I used to go in high school and I remember listening to the college jazz bands and being inspired by them. To be able to come full circle is amazing.”

Berry and his combo received 97.675 out of 100. The average score in their category was 90.8. His solo was judged on his improvisational skills, tempo and rhythm accuracy, intonation, articulation, balance and blend, and style and interpretation.

Winning the Lionel Hampton Festival gives the WSU jazz bands recognition. It shows that WSU has a good jazz program, and that it’s competitive, Ward said. Making the festival competitive again means that band directors can show what their programs are doing in a measurable way.

“I’m really proud, especially of Jazz Band II for getting honorable mention,” Ward said. “It’s a great feeling.”