Driftless Jazz Festival 2007
The festival was a smashing success! Great music, great weather, great people, great times!! We had over two hundred people in attendance. Festival Slide Show
Featured Artists
| Creative musician, saxophonist and composer Tom Gullion is a very strong, emotional and melodic player. His music is profoundly emotional and beautifully lyrical.A signature trait of Gullion’s performances, as noted by many jazz critics, is his communication with the ensemble and the audience. Intuition reigns supreme. To him, it’s all about connection – between the musicians and with the audience. |  |
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Tom Bourcier is an instrumentalist and composer who takes great curiosity in the endless possibilities regarding musical creation. This eclecticism is apparent in his work both as a performer and composer. Tom is equally skilled performing in jazz, classical, rock, folk and blues, avant-garde, and improvisational genres. As a professional musician Tom has performed throughout the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean. |
| Geoffrey Lowe is an eclectic modern bassist who spent his formative years in Colorado playing Violin, Guitar, Piano and Basses. He relocated to Chicago in order to play a wide variety of music with a wide variety of players & composers. Currently playing and/or writing Jazz, R&B, Smooth Jazz, Blues, Rock, Brazilian and Classical as the schedule allows. He has toured Europe with both Jazz and Classical groups. Recorded CDs with Jazz and New Age artists. Has performed live with Monty Alexander, David Fathead Newman, Frank Wess, Clark Terry, James Moody, Ernie Andrews, Freddie Cole, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Everett Greene, Robert Irving III, Barbara Morrison, Barrett Deems (Jazz-Great Drummer), Ben E. King, The Shirelles, The Platters, The Coasters, Ron Hawking, Bob McGrath (Sesame Street), Annie Dennison. On CD tracks with David Sanborn, Fareed Haque. Paul Wertico, Buddy DeFranco, Steve Cole, Lisa Lauren. Has Performed at: The Chicago Jazz Festival, The North Sea Jazz Festival (The Hague, Holland), Montreaux Jazz Festival (Montreaux, Switzerland), Park Tower Blues Festival (Tokyo, Japan), Spoletto Music Festival (Spoletto, Italy). |  |
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Rich MacDonald joined the music faculty at Winona State University in the fall of 1996. He holds Bachelor of Music and Master of Music Education degrees from the University of North Texas, and the Doctor of Arts degree in Percussion Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Northern Colorado. Dr. MacDonald has taught extensively in Texas, serving on the faculties of the University of North Texas, the University of Texas at Arlington and Eastfield College. Some of his performance credits include: Milt Hinton, Slide Hampton, Arturo Sandoval, George Benson, Eddie Daniels, and three years touring experience with Ice Capades. |
| Christie Knapp always brings lush beauty to the great American songbook. She often brings songs made famous by crooners such as Rosemary Clooney, Keely Smith, June Cristy and Blossom Dearie. |  |
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Project FourthStream is a talented duo lead by composer Bill Neil. In this group, the structure of compositions meld seamlessly with the flow of improvisations. Indeed, it is impossible to tell where one stops and the other begins. The result is engaging and thought-provoking music. |
| Mike Snustead previously toured with jazz legend Stan Kenton. He will be bringing a combo of local jazz musicians playing tunes made famous during the Big Band Era as well as other choice material. |
| Jfar Coretet is bassist Frank Wildingway, saxophonist Jeff Miller, clarinetist Robert Perry and percussionist Arwyn Wildingway. This combo produces some of the more adventurous music you’re likely to find. Based deeply within the tradition set forth by Charles Mingus, this group produces original tunes, some with poetry and lyrics, which are marvelous. |
| Driftless Jazz Collective, built as a collective of local musicians joining together to further jazz music, Driftless Jazz will round out the evening bringing energetic, accessible jazz music. Featuring Micah Robinson (formerly with Burning Spear) on trombone, Dave Ware on guitar, Jon Passi on flute and Jason Smith on drums. This group will host the final set and jam session for the festival! |  |