Benjamin Logan jazz students attend Wynton Marsalis concert

Benjamin Logan High School Jazz Ensemble students attended a free educational concert featuring Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra on Thursday, Oct. 1, at the Clark State Performing Arts Center in Springfield.

The concert gave students an opportunity to hear professional jazz musicians perform live and connect what they study and practice at school with the work of an internationally recognized ensemble.

Band Director Myles Bowers explained the significance of the experience to his students.

“If you’re not familiar with Wynton: Imagine you’re getting to see and then meet the people who set the standard for an entire art form.”

Marsalis, a trumpeter, composer and educator, has performed and collaborated with musicians including Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, Leonard Bernstein, Eric Clapton and Yo-Yo Ma. Through Jazz at Lincoln Center, he and the orchestra help preserve jazz history, share its traditions and introduce the music to new generations.

For Benjamin Logan students, the performance offered a firsthand look at the improvisation, communication and ensemble work that are central to jazz. Hearing those skills in a live concert setting brought their classroom instruction and rehearsals into a broader musical context.

The trip was especially meaningful after icy weather forced the cancellation of the ensemble’s planned visit last year.

Benjamin Logan Local Schools offered appreciation to Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Clark State Performing Arts Center for making the educational concert available to students and providing an opportunity to experience professional musicianship up close.