The first annual Springfield Jazz Festival will be held on Friday, May 7 and Saturday, May 8. Sponsored by the Missouri State Jazz Studies program, the festival will include performances from legendary jazz bassist Charlie Haden and the Quartet West as well as The Les Brown Band of Renown, with Bob Anderson, Christin Bohrisch, and the Missouri Jazz Orchestra (MOJO).

“The Jazz Studies Program is proud to be part of the presentation of the First Annual Springfield Jazz Festival,” Randy Hamm, director of Jazz Studies and Professor of Music, says. “We have scheduled a wide variety of jazz artists to please the palate of every jazz enthusiast.”

The Les Brown Band of Renown will perform on Friday, May 7 at 7:30 PM at the Gillioz Theatre. They will be accompanied by Bob Anderson, Christin Boerisch, and the Missouri Jazz Orchestra. Tickets are $17 for students and seniors and $22 for the general public.

On Saturday, May 8, a free afternoon event will be held at Jefferson Avenue and Park Central Avenue East from 1:00 to 7:00 PM. This event will feature local and regional jazz artists and food and beverage vendors. On Saturday evening at 8:00 PM, Charlie Haden and Quartet West will perform at the Gillioz; tickets are $23 for students and seniors and $28 for the general public.

“It is our hope that this annual festival will grow into an event that will contribute to and enrich the arts in our community, as well as contribute to the success of the University’s public affairs mission of cultural competence and community engagement,” Hamm says.

For more information about the Jazz Festival, you may contact Randy Hamm, Director of Jazz Studies, at RandyHamm@MissouriState.edu or (417) 836-6739. To buy tickets for Festival events, call (417) 836-7678 or visit the Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts web site.