JAZZ: STILL RELEVANT

The third annual OMEA Oregon State Jazz Championships were held on the Mt. Hood campus last Saturday, May 18, and thanks to efforts from the Dan Davey, director of jazz studies, and the rest of the college’s music department, it was a resounding success.

Attendance has tripled since MHCC’s first year hosting the jazz festival, with more high schools playing for the championships than in either of the previous years.

Adjudicators from universities around the country, as far away as West Virginia, critiqued the participating groups in six divisions as they competed during the all-day event that culminated in a final performance by MHCC’s own “big band” just before the awards ceremony.

Professional saxophonist and touring artist Jared Sims joined Mt. Hood’s jazz band on stage, playing a number of stunning solos throughout the final set (along with Davey, who took a break from conducting to play sax alongside Sims in the penultimate number).

A sea of cellphones could be seen recording the performance as hundreds of jazz-loving parents sat in awe of Sims and Davey, and hefty applause from the crowd followed.

As for the OMEA awards:

Ryan Helms, from Willamette High School, took home an award for outstanding saxophonist, along with several other students from North Salem, West Salem, Sunset, and other high schools who received Outstanding Musician awards for their respective instruments.

Jefferson High School took first place in the 1A/2A divisions, with Creswell taking the title for Division 3A, Sisters in 4A, Willamette in 5A, and, finally, Lakeridge in 6A.

As the evening came to a close, hordes of exhausted students and attendees exited the College Theatre, wrapping up a successful statewide jazz competition.

Anyone who missed MHCC’s big band jazz performance during the festival gets another opportunity soon: The group will perform, along with Mt. Hood’s symphonic band, in a free, year-end concert set for 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 5, also in the College Theatre.