CENTRAL TO HOST 15TH CAPE JAZZ FESTIVAL TODAY

The emergence of unknown talent and the promise of musicians from established programs give Cape Jazz Festival organizer Ron Nall reason to be excited about Saturday's event.

"With so many different schools coming, you just never know if some great jazz musician will turn up," said Nall, the Cape Girardeau Central High band director who will also oversee the 15th edition of the Cape Jazz Festival. The event will begin at 8:30 a.m. Saturday. An awards ceremony will serve as the festival's conclusion at 5 p.m.

"This event was started by John Fisher in 1979 and has grown into a nice festival," said Nall. "We've had 50 different schools perform since the first year."

The event will be free to the public.

St. Vincent of Perryville, under the direction of Ron Walker, is scheduled to take the stage first. Bands to follow at 30-minute intervals include East Prairie, Jo Byrns School of Tennessee, Charleston, Arcadia Valley, Doniphan, Windsor, Marquette and Lafayette's second band.

After a lunch break, North County DesLoge will perform at 1 p.m. followed by Fox Junior High, Crestview Middle School, Northwest of House Springs, Eureka, Lafayette, Cape Central and Southeast Missouri State, under the direction of Barry Bernhardt.

Bands will be judged by a three-member panel. The judges will offer taped comments during the performance. "This isn't going to be a competitive situation where a top band will be named," said Nall. "It will be more of a chance for bands to be rated and to learn what areas they should work on to become stronger in the future. It will also show bands what the judges think they do well."

Judges may rate a band as excellent, which would give them a number one rating, or superior, a number two rating. "There will be some cases where a band won't receive a specific rating but will have taped comments to take home," said Nall.

Southeast Missouri State will offer a half-scholarship to the top jazz musician of the day.

Areas bands will be judged on overall tone quality, balance and blend, intonation, dynamics and musicality, precision and timing, style and interpretation, choice of music, improvisation and soloists and general performance.