Weekend of Jazz: Where music legends meet future stars
Saxophonist Dave Liebman’s career as a professional musician was solidified at 15 when he saw John Coltrane perform. The Pennsylvania-based artist and teacher h opes to ins pire a newg eneration of teens during Weekend of Jazz at Beavercreek High School, Thursday through Saturday, March 1 through 3.
“I had polio as a kid,” Liebman said. “I was always around hospitals and doctors, so I wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon. Then I saw Coltrane and it looked interesting and unbelievably fun.Thiswasartandmusic that was beyond the pale. It was so viscera l.Itwasan awakening.”
Liebman, who performs regularly in the United States and Europe, has appeared on more than 500 recordings. His latest release is “Masters in Bordeaux” with French pianist Martial Solal.
“Jazz is a very deep music,” Liebman said. “It’s very American, at least at its roots, and it’s very African-American in its personnel. It’s music of complete honesty and of democracy versus individuality at the same time.”
CONCERTS & WORKSHOPS
Weekend of Jazz features a series of public performances. Beavercreek Band Night is Thursday, followed by the Victor Wooten Band on Friday and the Dave Lieb- man Big Band on Saturday. Liebman and Wooten will also be working directly with students.
“I’ve been doing this for 50 years so I’m a relic, but Ihaves ome things to share with students,” he said. “I’m still running the organization I founded, the Interna- tional Association of Schools of Jazz. We’re doing a lot of outreach and trying to get young people interested in the music.”
Musicians from more than 20 high school jazz bands will attend the 18th annual event, including Beavercreek senior Gabriel Brausch on trumpet. “I like Weekend of Jazz because it’s a place where professionals meet the students and students get to see how the thing they like doing can relate to a career,” he said.
Beavercreek senior Shelby Rice, who plays trombone, agreed. “Weekend of Jazz truly is a unique learning experience for students. We get to interact with — and learn from — world-class musicians we wouldn’t have access to otherwise. We get insights into the industry and the lives of professional of jazz.” According to Tim musicians, and get lessons Sakulich, the director of the in performance and musi- Weekend of Jazz, he and the cianship from people who’ve other parent volunteers take made this their life’s work.” that very seriously.
“Our mission is to get the students even more excited about music bein gapartof their lives,” Sakulich said. “It’s a great opportunity for
‘Jazz is a very deep music. It’s very American, at least at its roots, and it’s very African-American in its personnel. It’s music of complete honesty and of democracy versus individuality at the same time.’
FUTURE OF JAZZ
The motto of Weekend of Jazz is, “Where the future of jazz meets the legends Jazz musician