The Jazz Jumpstart Festival is happening this Thursday and Friday!
The Jazz Jumpstart Festival will include educational workshops throughout the day on Thursday and Friday. Thirteen middle school and high school bands are participating in workshops and clinics with guest artists. These workshops are open to the public for those interested.
The events begin Thursday with the 5 o’clock Happy Hour concert featuring the NMSU Jazz Lab Band. The NMSU Jazz Lab Band is an experimental group that will perform alternative and traditional jazz music.
The main event on Thursday features Raffy Bushman, a hip-hop jazz artist from London. He is performing with a small group of clinicians and then playing with the NMSU Jazz Ensemble.
Thursday night will conclude with a live music jam session at Mom’s Coffee at 9 p.m.
The concerts kick off Friday at 5 p.m. with the Happy Hour Concert featuring the Border Jazz Orchestra. The band is led by former NMSU professor Dr. Pancho Romero and members include jazz professionals from El Paso and Las Cruces.
The main event concert features Grammy-winning, trumpet artist Terrell Stafford. Stafford is a professor at Temple University. He will perform with the local clinicians and then will play with the NMSU Jazz Ensemble. There will be a reception following the concert with coffee and treats.
Read more about the guest artists at https://jazz.nmsu.edu/jazz-jumpstart/guest-artists.html.
Students get into the events for free. There is a $5 admission fee for members of the community. Tickets can be bought in person or online at jazz.nmsu.edu.
Mailing Address
Main Fax: 575-646-8199
Department of Music MSC 3F, NMSU
PO Box 30001
Las Cruces, NM 88003
