Get Jazzed for the 46th Annual UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival Happening April 21-23

Greeley will be groovin' during the 46th Annual UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival, happening from April 21-23 at the Union Colony Civic Center. Throughout the four days, thousands of jazz musicians and enthusiasts from all over the country will come together at this intimate venue in Greeley to be a part of the largest event of its kind. Besides phenomenal nightly concerts provided by award-winning groups and legendary jazz artists, there will be educational workshop sessions, daytime performances, and after-hour jam sessions where locals sometimes even get the opportunity to play alongside these celebrity musicians.

Welcoming jazz musicians of all levels, from elementary school through semi-professional jazz ensemble groups, this festival hosts a wide array of participants, in a non-competitive environment. Groups may register in four categories: big bands, combos, jazz vocal groups, and vocal soloists. All groups will receive recorded comments and a feedback clinic from some of the 40 artist/clinicians. Each day, several educational workshops on topics ranging from improvisation and arranging to vocal and instrumental techniques are offered by the artist/clinicians and the main stage artists. Something new and exciting to occur at the UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival this year, will be the formation of a High School Honor Band, where applicants from all over the country get a chance to be featured in an 18-piece band that will play with the main act on Saturday night. The honor band will also have an opportunity to record in UNC's state-of-the-art recording studio.

All of the main stage concerts will begin at 7:30 p.m. each night in Monfort Hall. This year's line-up includes:

• Thursday, April 21: New York Voices
• Friday, April 22: Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra 
• Friday, April 22: Ellis Marsalis Trio
• Saturday, April 23: Joey DeFrancesco with special guests Houston Person and Tamir Hendelman

Tickets for the Festival can be purchased online, by calling (800) 315-2787, or by visiting the UCCC Box Office directly at 701 10th Avenue in Greeley. For more information, visit http://arts.unco.edu/music/jazz_festival/.