Jazz concert makes a comeback

About 50 middle and high school students will perform at tonight's All County Jazz Concert, the first since 1988.

WESLEY CHAPEL - The kids were two hours into a grueling practice session. And Sarah Fairbanks, a trumpet player from Hudson Middle School, was feeling it.

Her lips were hurting, but lucky for her there was a break when drummer Ryan Pillivant was given a chance to shine with his very own solo.

Improvisation is an essential skill when it comes to jazz, so it was no great wonder that band director Tom Viking had given the seventh-grader from Stewart Middle School four bars to play with.

"Do your thing a little bit. If there's a little pause in there, that's cool - it's all jazz," Viking said. "But if you've got a soulful bone in your body, here's where it's got to come out."

After three days of intense practice, it should be soulful bones galore when some 50 middle and high school musicians come together for the All County Jazz Concert set for tonight at the Center for the Arts at Wesley Chapel High School. An added treat for those wanting to jazz up their weekend will be a guest performance by the University of South Florida Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Jack Wilkins.

"This is really cool; I'm really excited," said John Leary, a Zephyrhills High School senior who will tickle the ivories for the high school band under the direction of Wilkins.

It has been years since Pasco County Schools hosted an All County Jazz Concert. The last time was in 1988 when Bill Rutherford and Russell Schmidt, the coordinators of this year's event, were both participants and seniors at Gulf High School.

These days Rutherford is the band director at Gulf High School while Schmidt waves the baton at Zephyrhills High.

"We have some strong jazz programs here," Rutherford said. "We thought, "Why don't we showcase it.' "

Tonight's concert is being paid for on a shoestring budget, Schmidt said. Band members were selected through taped auditions heard by a panel of local musicians. Band directors, such as Hudson Middle's John Keon, donated sheet music.

"It's neat that they're finally doing this," Keon said. "Some kids really connect to jazz."

Keon, who has nine musicians playing in tonight's concert, comes from a handful of schools that offer full-time jazz programs to students. During the school year, his jazz band performs at about 65 community events. Like other Pasco band directors, he'd like to see the jazz program grow at other schools.

That's the plan, Schmidt said. "But most of all we want this to be a laid back fun thing. We want the kids to have fun."

The All County Jazz Concert will be at 7 tonight at the Center for the Arts at Wesley Chapel High School, 30651 Wells Road. Admission is free.