Carnival of Soul

PITTSBURG, Kan. — One of the hottest jazz bands from Los Angeles, led by award-winning musician/arranger Tom Kubis, will groove audiences tonight inside the historic Memorial Auditorium.

But they won’t be the only band in town. Throughout the day, at both Memorial and the nearby Bicknell Center for the Arts, another 72 jazz bands will perform — each hailing from area schools in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.

Welcome to the 46th annual PSU Jazz Festival, one of the largest one-day get-togethers found anywhere in the Midwest.

“A couple of my judges have made that comment (that it’s one of the largest festivals), one from Texas,” said professor Robert Kehle, the festival’s director. “It certainly is large.”

The inaugural festival, held in 1974, had just 14 public school bands participating.

“This is No. 42 for me — it makes me fell old but excited,” Kehle said. “I think the success is partially due to the fine teaching we have in the public schools. Some of the schools are very small, yet field a jazz group. Other are larger and might have up to three (groups). Over the years, I have seen the jazz in public schools take off and the quality soar.”

There’s some great teaching going on in the various high schools, Kehle continued, “and the festival allows that to be showcased.”

Each of the 72 groups receives 30 minutes on and off stage, performing three to four pieces. But there are no winners or losers.

“The idea is an educational festival, not competitive,” he said. “The judges work with the group as well as giving recorded comments while they play. … The judges are listening for basic musical ideas like pitch, ensemble education and also jazz-related style, improvisation and excitement.”

These performances will occur both at the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts on the PSU campus and Memorial Auditorium in downtown Pittsburg, starting at 8 a.m. and running until 5:45 p.m. The performances are open to the public at no charge, but because they’re judged, attendees shouldn’t open the doors during the performances and should limit distractions, according to a PSU release.

The festival culminates with the Tom Kubis Big Band concert, which starts at 7:30 p.m. Having the band perform live in downtown Pittsburg is a bit of a coup, Kehle said. The band’s seven albums are a defining library of the contemporary big-band sound.

“The Tom Kubis Big Band … you have heard all these players unless you never watch TV or go to the movies,” Kehle said. “They are on all the (movie) soundtracks. They play monthly in Long Beach, California, but (rarely) tour out of Southern California. Unless you want to truck out to California, you will only hear them on CDs or this Friday in Pittsburg, Kansas. It will be a concert to remember.”

Tickets: $15 for adults and $10 for children, seniors, military and veterans with valid ID as well as PSU staff/faculty with valid ID. PSU students are admitted free.

Details: 620-235-4796.