Annual Jazz Scholarship Gala Features Alex Hahn
JONESBORO – Arkansas State University Jazz Studies, directed by Dr. Ken Carroll, will perform the third annual Jazz Scholarship Gala Thursday, Nov. 15, in Riceland Hall of Fowler Center, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $5, or free to students with an A-State ID. Proceeds will support the Thomas Miles O’Connor Jazz Performance Award.
The evening will open with a performance by the Jazz Lab Band playing pieces by Tom O’ Connor, Jeff Jarvis, and Eubie Blake.
A-State Jazz Orchestra will follow, featuring Los Angeles saxophonist Alex Hahn.
The evening’s fare will include Jazz Studies’ alumni Joseph Curtis’ “Hardly Groovin," followed by “I Gots the Sleepy Man Blues," “Omage to Bud Shank," “There Will Never Be Another You," “Psychedelic Sun," and a special encore.
The concert featuring Hahn is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and Communication, the Department of Music, County Clerk Kade Holliday, and A-State Jazz Studies.
A multi-award winning saxophonist and composer, Hahn has had the opportunity to perform with many renowned artists such as Herbie Hancock, Esperanza Spalding, Bob Mintzer, Russell Ferrante and John Daversa.
He also recorded on Michael Bublé’s latest album, “Nobody but Me.” In addition, Hahn has performed and taught internationally, including the Panama Jazz Festival, Sitka Jazz Festival, and at International Jazz Day in Havana, Cuba and St. Petersburg, Russia.
He is a six-time Downbeat Magazine Award Winner, three-time Next Generation Jazz Festival Outstanding Soloist, first place winner in the North American Saxophone Alliance Jazz Saxophone Competition, and winner of the Perform with Mintzer International Saxophone Competition.
His Downbeat Magazine Award Winning group, The Alex Hahn Crossing, released their debut album, "Traveling," in 2014. Moreover, Hahn is an endorsed artist of D’Addario Woodwinds and Andreas Eastman Saxophones.
Most recently, Hahn completed his second Master of Music degree with the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, where he studied with jazz legends including Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Jimmy Heath, Chris Potter, and many more. Previously, he earned his first Master of Music degree in jazz studies from the University of Southern California, where he was a graduate student and teaching assistant under Bob Mintzer and Jason Goldman.
Hahn graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor of Music from the University of North Texas where he played with the seven-time Grammy-nominated One O’ Clock Lab Band and is a featured soloist on the Lab 2014 Album. He has recently released his second album, "Emerging," which is now available.
Fowler Center is at 201 Olympic Dr. For more details about this concert or any other A-State music event, one may contact the Music Department at (870) 972-2094.
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