JAZZ
2025 Western Illinois University Jazz Festival
The 52nd Annual Western Illinois University Jazz Festival will be held Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. Please click on the registration form below to reserve your spot for the festival and to get more information about costs.
Friday’s main event will be concerts by the WIU Jazz Band and Jazz Studio Orchestra featuring acclaimed trombonist, composer, and educator Stafford Hunter.
This year, student ensembles will participate in two workshops with our jazz faculty and guest artist. There will also be clinics for all instuments and a jam session hosted by the Hopper Jazztet, WIU's acclaimed faculty jazz ensemble.
Multi-Grammy nominated trombonist & sea shells player (and sometimes vocalist) is a Philadelphia native (born in Atlantic City, NJ). He became a professional musician at the age of 16. And, was an award winner of the "Al Grey Award for Musical Excellence"; acknowledging Stafford as "the Most Promising Jazz Trombone Talent". Graduate of the New School Jazz & Contemporary Music Program (NYC). Of which, he was the first trombonist to graduate from the New School Jazz Program. 30 years working musician on the NYC jazz scene.
Beside music, Stafford appeared as a model in the December 1992 issue of L'Uomo Vogue (the Italian Vogue magazine for men). This issue also featured jazz greats like Milt Hinton, Clark Terry, Louie Bellson, etc... And, he appeared in a documentary film on the late-great pianist; Dorothy Donegan. Also, he was an actor in a movie entitled "the Day the Ponies Come Back" which was released March of 2001 in France. And, he appeared in a diet Coke television commercial which featured the great Elton John.
Stafford has performed at former-US President Bill Clinton's first inaugural. Since then, the trombonist has performed, recorded and toured all over the world with the likes of Illinois Jacquet, McCoy Tyner, Lester Bowie & Brass Fantasy, Abdullah Ibrahim, Charli Persip, Charles Tolliver, Tony Bennett, Roy Hargrove, Donald Byrd Dance Troupe, Cab Calloway Orch., Joss Stone, Orrin Evans & the Captain Black Big Band, the Mingus Big Band, Lauryn Hill, Frank Foster, Clark Terry, Reggie Workman, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Lionel Hampton Orchestra, Dionne Warwick, Lenny Kravitz, Muhal Richard Abrams, Amy Winehouse, Oliver Lake, Steve Turre & Sanctified Shells, and was a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra for 21 years among other groups.
Presently, Stafford resides in Denver, CO performing his groups Continuum, the Freedom Quartet, Universal Rhythms, along with local bands Colorado Mambo Orchestra, Orquesta La Brava, and others while also continuing to perform with national recognized groups in the USA, South America, Europe, and Asia as well as his own groups. Stafford frequently gives master classes, lectures, concerts as a special guest and gives lessons at universities & high schools and privately in Japan, Russia Europe and around the world.
For additional information about the Festival, please contact: University Bands, Western Illinois University, 1 University Circle, Macomb, IL 61455; PH 309-298-1505; Fax 309-298-1499; or e-mail we-ashe@wiu.edu.
Hope to see you all there!
Dr. Whitney Ashe
Director of Jazz Studies
Western Illinois University
For more information, please contact: Phone (309) 298-2186, or Email to we-ashe@wiu.edu
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