Clarksville Community Concert Association will host the headliner concert for the 63rd Mid-South Jazz Festival April 4-6 at Austin Peay State University’s George and Sharon Mabry Concert Hall, 780 Marion Street.
Headlining the jazz festival, Warren Wolf Jazz Quartet will perform 7:30 p.m., April 6. Wolf, an acclaimed vibraphonist, will perform with bass, piano and drum accompaniment. The international touring musician is renowned for his deep background in all genres of music and sophisticated, post-bop, exploratory style.
“The 63rd Mid-South Jazz Festival culminates our 2023-24 community concert season,” Ann Silverberg, CCCA President said. “The Jazz festival always is a season highlight, and this year is very special because we are honoring professor David Steinquest, who has devoted 38 years to teaching percussion at APSU and directing the Mid-South Jazz Festival.”
Steinquest, who is retiring this year, will present the pre-concert talk 6:30 - 7 p.m. April 6.
The three-day event will kick-off 7:30 p.m., April 4 with performances by Austin Peay students who form the APSU Jazz Collective, and APSU’s Alumni Combo will follow. Jazz Big Bands slated 7:30 p.m. April 5 include the APSU Jazz Collegians, Director Gary “Bo” Clayton and the Cumberland Winds Jazz Project, Director Mike Ritter. Events on April 4-5 are free.
The festival will feature performances by local artists who represent more than 100 combined years of teaching and performing professionally. Among them are Clayton on trumpet, Steinquest on bass and vibraphone, Darrin Hoffman on guitar, Heath Rives on tenor sax, Ryan Jones on piano, and Canaan Fain on drums.
“This is such a fun opportunity for me and the students,” Clayton, APSU director of jazz ensembles said. “Jazz is America’s art form. To see young people, who are our future teachers, learning and performing with such passion is the greatest reward in my teaching career.”
Regular admission on April 6 is $25 with discounts for seniors 65 and older, military and educators. Admission is free for all Austin Peay students and $5 for non-Austin Peay students with ID. Individual livestream tickets are $20. Parking is free.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.clarksvillemusic.org, call 877-811-0200 or email ccca@clarksvillemusic.org.
The Clarksville Community Concert Association (CCCA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to presenting music performances of high artistic merit in Clarksville-Montgomery County and promoting interest in and enjoyment of live concerts through community outreach and education. In addition to ticket sales and donations, CCCA receives funding from the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts and support from the Acuff Chair of Excellence, which allows artists to share their expertise with Austin Peay students, faculty, and the larger community.
