Mark your calendars: Jazz Fest XLIII is Feb. 9

One of UW-Green Bay’s most enduring musical traditions will be back for its 43rd year Saturday, Feb. 9, when the annual Jazz Fest event comes to campus. This daylong celebration of all things jazz is filled with ensemble performances and clinic and master clinic sessions for middle and high school students from Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota. Two high school jazz ensembles are selected during the day to perform with the Jazz and Vocal Jazz ensembles, along with a guest artist, at the culminating concert, which takes place at 4 p.m. in the Cofrin Family (main) Hall at the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts. This year’s event involves not only a great guest artist — renowned trumpeter Bobby Shew — but also a terrific guest arranger, Prof. Bob Washut of the University of Northern Iowa. We’ll have more on this year’s event, including a video previewing the day, coming up next week. Mark your calendars!