For the ninth year, a local fundraiser will bring a lineup of talented performers to Connecticut. The Manchester Jazz Fest will be held this Saturday, Dec. 7 at Cheney Hall, a performing arts institution in Manchester.
The event is produced by BSBI, a community-building group and affiliate of the Beth Sholom synagogue in Manchester. The festival is ticketed, but the admission acts as a fundraiser to support locally based charity organizations, according to the event’s webpage.
A group of students from the University of Connecticut are headlining the event as part of the “UConn Student Jazz Combo” — the group will perform a medley of classic and modern jazz pieces. Steve Bulmer, director of jazz combos for the UConn music department, acts as director alongside seven student musicians: Michael Rentz on trumpet, Michael Farina on tenor saxophone, Ciara Garcia on baritone saxophone, Colin Quigley on guitar, Isadore Palacpac on piano, Andrew Cecarelli on bass and Sean Byington on drums.
The UConn music department explains that different student performers in small “combo” ensembles use the experience to become more prepared for professional music performance environments.
“Under the guidance and direction of faculty members, students work together within assigned combos to develop proficiency in the art of jazz improvisation and small-group jazz performance,” the UConn jazz ensembles webpage reads.
The Manchester Jazz Fest’s musical lineup also includes three other headline performing groups, the Benny Benack III Quartet, Matt DeChamplain Quintet and Andrew Wilcox Trio. They are comprised of mostly local performers; Benack’s quartet is based out of New York City, with DeChamplain and Wilcox originating in Wethersfield and Hartford, respectively.
The Hartford Jazz Society acts as a sponsor and the whole show will be emceed by Lorna Diane Blackwell, the host of the “Mixed Bag of Jazz” show on WRTC FM 89.3, a press statement reads.
Some of the musicians performing at the festival have been featured on famous jazz recordings, such as those by Michael Brecker, the Manhattan Transfer and the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz at The University of Hartford. In previous seasons, the Manchester Jazz Fest has featured local and nationally renowned jazz performers like the Hot Tonic Orchestra, Vincent Herring Quartet and the Brubeck Brothers among others.
Cheney Hall, the festival’s host location, was built in 1866 and is operated by the Little Theatre of Manchester Society, according to their history page. The Manchester Historical Society details that the hall is central to the Cheney Brothers National Historic Landmark District, having undergone renovations and improvements to help host performances and events like the annual Jazz Fest.
The 9th Annual Manchester Jazz Fest will be held on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 6:30 p.m. at Cheney Hall, on the corner of Hartford Road and Elm Street in Manchester; public transportation is available on CT Transit route 83D from Hartford Union Station directly to the venue.
Tickets are $40 and can be purchased at manchesterctjazzfest.com.