The 17th Annual

NMU Jazz Festival

Thursday & Friday

April 11-12, 2013

-Featuring-

Saxophonist Jim Snidero

-and-

Vocalist Kathy Kosins

The 17th Annual NMU Jazz Festival will be held on the beautiful campus of Northern Michigan University, on Thursday and Friday, April 11-12, 2013.  High school and middle school jazz bands and combos in the region are invited to participate. There is a $200 entry fee for each participating ensemble (additional ensembles from the same school can register for $75). Space is limited.  The registration deadline is March 1, 2013.  Click HERE for printable (PDF) registration materials.

This year's event will feature Jim Snidero, a bandleader and recording artist who has been hailed as an “alto sax virtuoso” and “master musician” by Downbeat Magazine.   Since making his first recording as a leader entitled On Time (Toshiba/EMI) in 1984, he has contributed to the art form with a remarkably diverse set of recordings (14 to date) on both major and indie labels.  He has recorded and/or performed with some of the most important names in the jazz, including The Mingus Big Band, Frank Wess, Eddie Palmieri, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Maria Schneider, Frank Sinatra, and Tony Bennett.  Snidero was also awarded a grant from the prestigious National Endowment for the Arts to make a recording with Jack Dejohnette and Dave Holland.   In addition to his performance activities, Snidero has been a major contributor to jazz education as both a best-selling author and educator. The three “Jazz Conception” (Advance Music) books he has authored are among the most widely-used jazz textbooks in the world, and are firmly established as a cornerstone of jazz education.  He is also an adjunct faculty member at both the The New School and New Jersey City University, and an active clinician for The Conn-Selmer Company and  Rico Reeds.  For additional information about Jim Snidero, please visit his website: http://www.jimsnidero.com. 

ASCAP award-winning vocalist Kathy Kosins has won the hearts of critics and fans around the globe with her eclectic musical palette that expands the rich history of jazz.  Born and bred during the Motown era of Detroit, she became a sought after session singer in the early 80s. In the early 90s, Kosins fell in love with the freedom of the jazz art form and her writing naturally evolved into a more traditional approach. Stints with the J.C. Heard and Nelson Riddle Orchestras followed and led to the 1996 release of All In A Dreams Work (Schoolkids).  Subsequent recordings continued to bring her recognition and success at the national level, and on her 2006 release of Vintage (Mahogany Jazz), she rediscovered little known songbook gems which she placed alongside a few widely known (yet unexpected) tunes from outside the jazz tradition, which brought her glowing reviews from journalists.  A past recipient of the Michigan Council for the Arts Jazz Composer of the Year Award, Kosins has also received grants from Michigan’s ArtServe advocacy group. Her clinics and workshops teach performance skills alongside business strategies for the independent artist and have been a success at colleges and universities across the USA.  For additional information about Kathy Kosins, please visit her website:  www.kathykosins.com.

We are very pleased that both of these outstanding artists will be joining us for the NMU Jazz Festival this year in Marquette!