Sweet! Hot! Jazz! –A Sweet Success

An estimated 500, in addition to the 80 students in the jazz bands, attended Sweet! Hot! Jazz!. The event raised enough funds to cover scholarships for graduating students who will continue to play in college bands. Gail’s Harley-Davidson was the major sponsor with other prize and food donations from throughout the district. While the district has had a jazz program with an annual district concert of all four jazz bands for 30 years, this was the fifth year for the Sweet! Hot! Jazz! celebration of the jazz program and fundraising event.

Two very special acknowledgements: –current Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction and incoming district Superintendent Kenny Rodrequez played drum set on Jazz Orchestra’s Sing, Sing, Sing, and with his retirement this year, this was GC-4 Band Director Danny Watring’s last Grandview jazz concert.

Check out the Grandview Jazz Highlights and competition results so far this year (2016):  

Northwest Missouri State University - Feb. 26

Jazz Orchestra - First Place, Division 4A Mark Herrera - Outstanding Soloist (alto saxophone), Division 4A Aaron Spencer (drums), Josh Keleher (bass guitar), Anthony Nwaneri (flugelhorn), Geran Turner (soprano and alto sax), Oscar Rosales (piano) - Outstanding Musicianship awards,

Division 4A Jazz Ensemble - First Place, Second Band Division Andrew Kearse - Outstanding Soloist (bari saxophone), Second Band Division Natalie Reese (tenor sax), entire saxophone section (Thomas Guzan, Jennifer Guardado, Pyper Moore, Stormy Smith) - Outstanding Musicianship awards, Second Band Division

Grandview Middle School - Second in Middle School Division, 1 Rating Anna Mott - Outstanding Soloist award

Martin Middle School - Fourth in Middle School Division, 1 Rating Jason Keleher (drums/piano), Isaiah Gordon (bari sax) - Outstanding Musicianship awards

University of Central Missouri Jazz Festival - Feb. 20

Jazz Orchestra - 1 Rating Aaron Spencer (drums), Geran Turner (alto saxophone), Mark Herrera (alto saxophone), Josh Keleher (bass) - Outstanding Soloist awards

Jazz Ensemble - 2 Rating

Grandview Middle - 1 Rating Anna Mott (trumpet) - Soloist award

Martin City Middle - 2 Rating Josh Norgren (bass), saxophone section - Outstanding Musicianship awards

University of Missouri/Rockbridge Jazz Festival - Feb. 13

Jazz Orchestra - Unanimous 1 Ratings from all three judges and in sight reading, top score of all bands - Command Performance Band for evening concert with University of Missouri Jazz Band

Jazz Ensemble, Grandview Middle, Martin City Middle - 2 Ratings

KC Metro #3 All-District Jazz Band members

Jake Blackburn - trombone, senior; Geran Turner - alto sax, senior; alternate - Aaron Spencer - drum set, senior