The University of North Carolina Wilmington Department of Music presents the 27th Annual Guest Artist Jazz Festival Thursday, March 26 – Saturday, March 28 in the Cultural Arts Building's Beckwith Recital Hall. Directed by Frank Bongiorno, professor of saxophone and director of UNCW's jazz program, the festival includes three nights of concerts by UNCW faculty, students and visiting artists.

UNCW Combos perform on March 26, directed by Joe Chambers, Bob Russell and Jerald Shynett. March 27 features the world premiere of "The Suspension of Disbelief," a work commissioned for UNCW Big Band. Performing that night: guest artist Gary Bartz, saxophone, with UNCW Big Band, Saxtet and Jazz Guitar Ensemble. On March 28, Bartz is joined by guest percussionist Steve Berrios and UNCW jazz faculty, including Kenan Distinguished Professor of Jazz Joe Chambers.

Guest clinician and artist Gary Bartz is Visiting Professor of Jazz Saxophone at Oberlin College and one of the finest alto sax players of his generation. He began playing with Max Roach and was a member of several notable jazz bands, including the Charles Mingus Jazz Workshop, McCoy Tyner's Expansions, and Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Bartz has more than 35 solo recordings to his credit and won Grammy Awards in 2005 and 2007 for collaborations with McCoy Tyner and Roy Hargrove, respectively.

Also joining the lineup on Saturday is Steve Berrios, Latin percussion. Berrios is considered one of the top Latin jazz drummers on the scene, and has recorded and toured with Max Roach and M'Boom, Mongo Michael Brecker and Grover Washington Jr. His second CD, And Then Some, recorded with Son Bachéche on Milestone Records, was nominated for a Grammy in 1996.

"The Suspension of Disbelief," premiering Friday night, was composed for UNCW Big Band by Dave Rivello, assistant professor of Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media, and director of the award winning New Jazz Ensemble at the Eastman School of Music. Rivello is a recipient of the DownBeat magazine award for Best Original Extended Composition as well as the International Association of Jazz Educators award for Best Original Large Ensemble Composition.

Concerts begin at 7:30 pm in the Cultural Arts Building's Beckwith Recital Hall. The Cultural Arts Building box office opens one hour prior to performance. Tickets are $5 general public and free to students with a valid UNCW ID. Parking is free, ample, brightly-lit and located in front of and across from the Cultural Arts Building.

For more information, contact the Department of Music at 910.962.3415.

Additional support for the UNCW Jazz Festival is provided by the UNCW Jazz Festival Endowment established with a gift from Ann Sherman-Skiba in memory of her husband Günther Skiba.

Media contact:

Ann Seymour, music department events coordinator, UNC Wilmington, 910.962.3415 or seymoura@uncw.edu