Knox Students Win Jazz Awards

The Knox College Jazz Ensemble recently won an Overall Outstanding Award in the ensemble category at the 43rd Annual Elmhurst College Jazz Festival.

Six Knox students in the 21-member ensemble won outstanding soloist awards at the festival -- Corey Heppner, guitar; Benjamin Kammerer and Samuel Lewis, drums; James Pittman, bass; Yumi Kusunoki trombone; and Michael Yu saxophone.

The Knox Jazz Ensemble is directed by Nicole Whittaker Malley, instructor in music and director of the jazz program.

"The ensemble's set at the Elmhurst festival was very mellow, very subtle," Malley said. "The students and I felt that it was one of the most musically sensitive performances they've given -- a unique set of pieces that showcased a lot of student talent."

Photos: top, Yumi Kusunoki; right, Michael Yu, saxophone; Cory Heppner, guitar; Scott Sapp, drums and James Pittman, bass; Doug Fennig, saxophone.

In addition, four Knox students in the Cherry Street Combo won outstanding soloist awards -- Heppner, guitar; Zach Lawrence, trombone; Scott Sapp drums; and Doug Fennig, saxophone. All of the combo's selections at the festival were original arrangements or compositions.

One of several small jazz groups made up of ensemble members, the Cherry Street Combo is directed by David Hoffman, associate in applied music and a former trumpet/flugelhorn soloist, composer and arranger for the Ray Charles Orchestra.

The complete list of awards from the Elmhurst College Jazz Festival is available at the festival website.

The Knox College Jazz Ensemble also has competed and performed at festivals at Western Illinois University, University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire, University of Notre Dame, University of Kentucky, University of Kansas, University of North Texas, the Illinois Music Educators Association, and the Central Illinois Jazz Society.

"Knox was one of the smallest colleges at the  Elmhurst festival, and less than half of our band members are majoring in music," Malley said. "Knox students are multi-talented, and they bring the same level of energy, dedication and passion that you'd expect at a conservatory-based program."

The Knox College Jazz Ensemble presents three major concerts during the school year, and sponsors the Knox-Rootabaga Jazz Festival every spring. In its 30-year history, the festival has hosted leading jazz artists, including Kurt Elling and Benny Green. The 2010 festival, April 8-10, features the Matt Wilson Quartet, Orquesta Alto Maiz, and Knox faculty, student and alumni bands.

Founded in 1837, Knox is a national liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois, with students from 47 states and 48 countries. Knox's "Old Main" is a National Historic Landmark and the only building remaining from the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates.