Public Invited to Westfield Schools' Jazz Night May 2

Westfield High School, in collaboration with Edison and Roosevelt Intermediate Schools, will present its Third Annual Jazz Night on Friday, May 2, at 6:30 p.m.  This event is open to the entire community and will feature performances by six bands, comprised of the Jazz Ensemble and Stage Band from Westfield High School, as well as the Edison and Roosevelt Jazz Bands.  

A casual jazz club atmosphere will be set in the Westfield High School Courtyard for this special evening. Guests are encouraged to bring a lawn chair if they would like to enjoy the outdoor event. Snacks and desserts, as well as soft drinks, will be served.

The program for the evening has been formulated to appeal to listeners of all ages and will consist of standards by Duke Ellington, George and Ira Gershwin, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller, as well as more recent tunes by Gordon Godwin, Sonny Rollins and Santana. 

This year, WHS Jazz is pleased to host trumpeter Al Chez as a guest performer. Chez formerly played in the CBS Orchestra for the Late Show with David Letterman before leaving to pursue a solo and freelance career. He has performed with greats such as Tower of Power, Dave Edmunds, Dion, Graham Parker, and Bon Jovi. Chez has also performed at events such as the 1989 Presidential Inauguration, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductions, John Lennon’s 50th Birthday Celebration, the 1996 Olympic Games Closing Ceremonies, the Concert of the Century, and the Concert for New York.

Westfield High School is located at 550 Dorian Road in Westfield.  There is ample parking behind the school, with doors from the parking lot leading directly to the Courtyard area.  In the event of inclement weather, Jazz Night will be held in Cafeteria B, also accessible from the parking lot. Tickets are $5 in advance, before Wednesday April 30th, and $6 at the door.  For ticket reservations and more information, please contact Chris Vitale, Director of Bands, at cvitale@westfieldnjk.org.