Jazz Festival - University of Houston
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University of Houston Moores School of Music Presents the

26th Annual Jazz Festival

February 23-24, 2024

Featuring world class trombonist, Andy Martin

Join us in celebrating 26 years of extraordinary jazz at the University of Houston!

  • Jazz Festival Concerts

    Friday, February 23, 2024 | 7:30 PM

    The Moores School of Music presents a concert featuring some of Houston's best professional jazz musicians, along with Moores School of Music Jazz Combos. 

    Saturday, February 24, 2024 | 7:30 PM

    The Moores School of Music's Jazz Orchestra, Houston's next generation of jazz masters-in-training, will welcome special guest headliner trombonist Andy Martin for a night of incandescent and incredible music, directed by Noe Marmolejo.

    Get Tickets Here 

  • Jazz Festival Student Bands: Juried Performances, Clinics, and Awards

    For college, high school, junior high, and middle school jazz bands and combos 

    Jazz students and teachers – come be a part of Houston's jazz history.  

    Register your Band/Combo Here 

    Performances & Clinics:
    Throughout the day on Friday, February 23 and Saturday, February 24, registered college, high school, junior high, and middle school jazz bands and combos will perform in the UH Moores Opera House. Each registered band will have a thirty-minute performance slot followed by a thirty-minute judges’ clinic immediately following.   

    At noon on Friday and Saturday, guest artist Andy Martin will present a FREE short performance and clinic in the Moores Opera House that is open to all participating bands and the general public.  

    Awards:
    As usual, awards will be given for outstanding MS/HS bands of each day, as well as for the festival. In addition, All Star awards will be presented to soloists along with outstanding MS/HS soloist of the day and the festival. In a change for this year, All Star awards will be given throughout the day and included in the judges’ packets given to the directors.

    All Outstanding Festival awards will be presented on Saturday, February 24, the Outstanding Awards for each day will be presented on both Friday, February 23 and Saturday, February 24. 

    An added feature to this year's festival is that all award-winning soloists will be invited to perform with the Moores Jazz Orchestra on March 18, 2024. Award-winning soloists will also receive scholarships to the Texas Music Festival Jazz Institute, June 16-21, 2024. (please note: this applies to outstanding soloists of each day and the festival, not all-star awards)

  • Jazz Festival Student Bands: Registration & Cost

    Our priority registration deadline is Sunday, December 31, 2023. 

    Priority Registration Fees:

    • Big Band: $300 
    • College Combo: $300 
    • Middle/High School Combo: $250 

    Late Registration Fees:
    • Big Band: $350 
    • College Combo: $350 
    • Middle/High School Combo: $300 

    Register your Band/Combo Here

    Moores School of Music will be accepting priority registrations until December 31, 2023. Directors can register late for an additional fee as long as slots are available.

    For other inquiries, please email caa@central.uh.edu or call 713.743.3398. 

  • Jazz Festival Full Schedule & Location

    Schedule:

    • Friday and Saturday, February 23-24, 2024
      • Student Jazz Bands:
        • Check-in begins at 7:30 a.m., followed by scheduled performances from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
        • Each registered band will be assigned a thirty-minute warmup, a thirty-minute performance slot, followed by a thirty-minute judges’ clinic. The total scheduled time is approximately 1.5 hours per band/combo.

    • 12:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday: Guest artist Andy Martin presents a FREE short performance and clinic in the Moores Opera House that is open to all participating bands and the general public.  
    • 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday: Attend the Jazz Festival concerts. Complimentary concert tickets are available to registered bands.

    Location:

    • University of Houston, Moores School of Music
      3333 Cullen Blvd, Houston, TX 77204
Photo of Andy Martin holding his trombone, smiling, and looking out a window

Featuring Andy Martin, Trombone

Coming from a musical family, trombonist Andy Martin launched his career while still in his teens. His technique and virtuosity quickly established him on the Los Angeles music scene. As an instructor, Martin has influenced countless young players. He has appeared at many colleges and universities throughout the country as a guest artist and clinician.

A world-class jazz musician, Martin is featured as leader or co-leader on twelve albums. These albums showcase his collaboration with other top jazz artists such as the late Carl Fontana, Pete Christlieb, Bobby Shew, and Eric Marienthal. He has also collaborated as a sideman with jazz greats such as Stanley Turrentine and Horace Silver. Martin had a long association with British bandleader and jazz promoter Vic Lewis, and was the featured soloist on many of Vic’s CDs.

Martin is well known for his work as a lead player and featured soloist with virtually every big band in L.A. Martin is the lead trombonist and featured soloist with Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, the lead trombonist and soloist for The Tom Kubis Band, and was a featured soloist for the Bill Holman Big Band for 15 years. He has appeared in bands led by Jack Sheldon, Louis Bellson, Quincy Jones, Matt Cattingub, Bob Curnow, Patrick Williams, and Sammy Nestico, among others.

Martin has long been one of L.A.’s most prominent trombonists for commercial recordings, television and motion picture soundtracks and live theater. He has contributed on albums for many popular artists, including the Pussycat Dolls, Coldplay, and Michael Bublé. His television credits include the Grammys, the Emmys, the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Martin has been the lead trombonist on television shows Dancing With The Stars and American Idol, and has appeared regularly on the soundtracks of major television series such as Family GuyAmerican Dad, and King of the Hill. His motion picture credits span the soundtracks of over 150 major films.

This February, Matrin comes to the University of Houston for the Moores School of Music 26th Annual Jazz Festival.

Trombonist Andy Martin