NIACC News Release
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December 19, 2001 Get Jazzed Up for the NIACC Jazz Festival If you enjoy music and all that jazz, don’t miss the highly anticipated battle of the big bands extravaganza when the Des Moines Big Band and the Mason City Big Band perform in the Jazz Festival at the North Iowa Community Auditorium. The show jives on stage on Saturday, Jan. 19, at 8 p.m. and is sponsored by the 2001-2002 North Iowa Area Community College Performing Arts Series. Tickets are on sale now and cost $12.The Des Moines Big Band, established in 1959, is currently led by Jim Oatts. The band has built a large following of all ages during the past 15 years. Numerous jazz artists have been featured with the band, including Richie Cole, Clark Terry, Bobby Shew, Dick Oatts, John Mosca, John Frederick and Paul Mckee. Iowa Public Television has featured the Des Moines Big Band on two specials, and the band has released two cassettes and three CD’s. The first CD featured Bobby Shew on trumpet, and the second CD featured Dick Oatts on saxophone. "Being There," the latest CD, with guest composer and trumpet artist Walter White, was released in 1999. The band will start a new CD project in the Spring of 2002. It will feature the music of Thad Jones, which has been specially arranged for the Des Moines Big Band. Des Moines Big Band leader Jim Oatts has recorded or toured throughout the United States and Europe with the Stan Kenton Orchestra, "Chase," Woody Herman Orchestra, Machito Latin Jazz Orchestra, Thad Jones – Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, Clark Terry’s Big Bad Band, Mike Vax Big Band and others. Oatts has been an Artist in Residence with the Iowa Arts Council since 1988. He plays French Besson trumpets and Flugelhorns exclusively. The Mason City Big Band was established in 1988 as part of a variety show for the North Iowa Band Festival. For over ten years the band was the featured act for the Saturday evening portion of the festival. The band continues to perform at festivals and dances throughout the North Iowa area every year. A number of the Mason City Big Band members have been playing in the area for quite awhile. Many of the musicians currently performing with the MCBB were members of the exciting North Iowa Jazz Ensemble that was active in the 1970’s. The NIACC Jazz Festival concert will mark the finale concert following the three-day NIACC Jazz Festival clinic. The clinic will be held at the North Iowa Community Auditorium on the NIACC Campus and is open to the public. Clinic activities are sponsored by the NIACC Instrumental Music Department, which is led by John Klemas, Director of Bands at NIACC. Fourteen area bands including 300 students will participate in the clinic. For NIACC Jazz Festival tickets, call the NIACC Box Office at 1-888-GO NIACC, ext. 4188. The NIACC Performing Arts Series is sponsored NIACC, the Elizabeth Muse Norris Charitable Fund, the Globe Gazette, Hanford Inn, Henkel Construcation, First Citizens National Bank, OmniTel Communications, Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa, Pepsi Cola General Bottlers of Mason City, the Principal Financial Group and Target. ##### Ref. 2006 |
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