Cape Girardeau jazz invasion

Southeast Missouri State University is ready for two days of jazz this weekend, kicking off today with the annual Clark Terry Phi Mu Alpha Jazz Festival on the Southeast campus.

Sixteen area high school jazz ensembles will hit campus for a series of concerts this morning and continuing through Saturday. Students from high schools and junior high schools will play for judges and get some clinic time with jazz saxophone soloist Jim Pisano -- a professional jazzer who has worked with big names like Clark Terry, Phil Woods, Louie Bellson and many others.

Following the performances Southeast's Jazz Lab band and premier Studio Jazz ensembles will hold performances both nights -- Friday night at Buckner Brewing Co. and Saturday night at Academic Auditorium. Friday will also feature the debut of the Southeast Missouri jazz combo, a ensemble mixing students and faculty in the university's Department of Music.

"I had a brainstorm in December and just said 'We're going to put together a faculty jazz combo,'" said Dr. Robert Conger, director of the university's jazz ensembles. "It's something we've really been needing to do around this place."

The combo plays in the style of bebop masters like Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker.

"We just have a lot of fun doing it," said Conger.