By Jules Hoepting, Marketing and Communications Intern
The first Fredonia Jazz Festival, sponsored by the Fredonia Jazz Society, will feature faculty, alumni and students.
Nick Weiser, SUNY Fredonia’s head of Jazz Studies and co-founder of the Fredonia Jazz Society, will perform with his group i3°. Weiser has performed in various highly acclaimed jazz festivals in the United States and Europe such as the Santiago de Cuba International Jazz Festival and the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival.
Dr. Weiser is “thrilled” to be able to bring jazz music to “our community and the region.”
“Jazz is a social music, and socializing is the thing so many of us have been missing during the pandemic. We hope — with this diverse lineup of world-class musicians that features the powerhouse piano trio i3° ("Thirteen Degrees"), our flagship jazz combos and ensembles from Fredonia, as well as other heavy-hitting pros from the region and beyond — that there will be something that appeals to everyone. More importantly, though, we hope to bring as many people as possible together for this special event, so that we can begin to use this music and that time together to heal from the pandemic,” Weiser said.
In addition to Weiser, John Bacon Jr., an adjunct SUNY Fredonia Jazz and percussion professor and alumnus, will perform at the festival with the Multi Dimensions Quartet. Bacon received the Jazz Musician, Jazz Educator and Jazz Drummer of the year in 2015 and 2016 from Jazz Buffalo.
SUNY Fredonia alumni Ed Croft and Ian Liedke will perform with the Dave Golando Quintet. Croft graduated from Fredonia with a degree in Music Education and went on to earn a master’s from Bowling Green State University, and is an adjunct lecturer in SUNY Fredonia's Music Industry program. He won the Jazz Buffalo Poll for Best Acoustic Upright Bassist in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Liedke graduated SUNY Fredonia with an emphasis in Jazz Studies and currently hosts an interactive jazz piano livestream series on Twitch.tv.
SUNY Fredonia’s own Jazz Orchestra, directed by Nick Weiser, will also perform at the event.
The Fredonia Jazz Society was created in 2018 to link SUNY Fredonia’s passion for jazz to the surrounding community to benefit all citizens.
SUNY Fredonia has a long connection with jazz music. In 1934, the Fredonia Jazz Workshop was created by Fredonia students to provide a dance band for social events. In 2017, SUNY Fredonia solidified a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music with a concentration in Jazz Studies.
The Fredonia Jazz Festival will take place at the Rotunda Grapevine Railroad Farm on East Main Street (Route 20) on Sept. 24 and 25. For more information and tickets, visit online.
