BIG NAMES WILL BEBOP TO MT. HOOD JAZZ FESTIVAL

Jazz is back in full swing at MHCC.

Last spring, Venture magazine 2019 (published in conjunction with The Advocate,) told the story of the once-wildly popular Mt. Hood Jazz Festival. Years ago, the event took place on campus every year, drawing top professional performers and tens of thousands of patrons, but for a variety of reasons it eventually moved off-campus.

Today, students and area jazz fans can look forward to the return of the “Mt. Hood Jazz Festival” – and some professional headliners – which will be held on campus April 24-25, 2020. This year, The Mt. Hood Jazz Association has agreed to give the name of the memorable “Mt. Hood Jazz Festival” back to MHCC. The event will absorb the annual Northwest Jazz Festival, which last spring brought over 70 high school and collegiate jazz bands to compete and perform on the MHCC campus. That event’s focus has been mostly on educational aspects of music, for musically oriented students.

Dan Davey, director of jazz studies for MHCC, explained that the revived Mt. Hood Jazz Festival will combine educational and professional aspects of music festivals. 

 After middle school competition on opening day, one middle school band will have the opportunity to perform before the featured artist. Day Two of the festival will have a high school jazz band competition during the day, followed by a headlining performer, who Davey declined to name but described as a “renowned jazz artist.”

Having the festival back on campus could be beneficial in many ways, Davey noted. While it is important that most festivals provide music students with opportunities to perform or to compete, they also let them learn about venue management, which can come in handy in the music field.  

If you’re looking for a way to support the next generation of jazz musicians as well as some from the current generation, the perfect opportunity is the Mt. Hood Jazz Festival. For more info go to www.mhcc.edu/JazzFestival.