Mar. 10, 2024 9:40p
(WGTD)---Growing up in Racine, UW-Parkside Jazz Studies Director and professional trumpeter Russ Johnson remembers a light-bulb moment. "I remember going to Horlick High School to hear the great jazz trumpeter Clark Terry when I was in 8th grade and I still remember gong to that concert and I was like 'wow. That's cool,'" said Johnson on a recent edition of WGTD's Morning Show. "Then a couple of years later it was 'No that's what I want to do.'"
Johnson said he hopes young musicians will be similarly inspired this week at UW-Parkside’s "Jazz Week" that begins Monday.
For the past ten years or so, Johnson has used his connections along with resources from Parkside’s College of Arts and Humanities and grants from the Kenosha Community Foundation to bring in jazz musicians of international fame as well as rising superstars.
The week kicks off Monday night with another artist that made a big impression on Johnson in his youth: Alto saxophonist Tim Berne. "Tim's music is very different and I absolutely love it," Johnson said. "Hearing his band was a life-changing moment for me. It changed the direction of what I wanted to do musically. It was just like I had no idea that you could do that."
Monday night's concert in Parkside’s Bedford Hall is free, as are appearances the next two nights by Grammy Award-winning bassist Christian Dillingham and trumpet player Emily Kuhn and her quintet.
The week’s headliner—pianist Orrin Evans—plays Thursday night.
On Friday at noon, Johnson himself will perform along with other Parkside music faculty. In the evening, three high school jazz ensembles will take the stage.
The Thursday and Friday evening performances are the only ones that require tickets. They’re available on Parkside’s website. For the other evening performances, donations will be accepted at the door.
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