Bill Evans is a Southeastern alumnus who is widely considered to be one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time. He is honored every year at Southeastern’s Bill Evans Jazz Festival. This year the festival featured the addition of middle and high school bands performances. Marcus Printup was a special guest who was inducted into the prestigious Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in 1993.
The 13th annual Bill Evans Jazz Festival took place April 3 to April 5 at the Pottle Auditorium. The events kicked off on Thursday, April 3 with the Southeastern Alumni Jazz Band Concert, and continued on Friday, April 4 with four bands playing. It ended with Marcus Printup performing with the Clarence Johnson Quartet. Saturday, April 5, five bands played, and ended with an awards ceremony and the Southeastern jazz ensemble. The middle and high school bands worked with a panel of judges comprised of Marcus Printup, Nick Volz and Tim Schneider.
An award ceremony was held, acknowledging schools on their performances. Winners included Mandeville Junior High School, Mandeville High School for outstanding piano, trumpet and guitar, Fontainebleau High School for trumpet and trombone, St. Paul’s High School and Hayne’s Academy.
Mandeville High School was awarded for outstanding piano, trumpet and guitar. Fontainebleau High School received an award for trumpet and trombone.
The Southeastern Jazz ensemble, directed by Paul Frechou and Clarence Johnson, performed with Marcus Printup of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 5. The highlight of this event was Printup, a world-class musician who was born and raised in Coyners, Georgia. He has given master classes and workshops at middle schools, high schools and universities across the nation.
“Marcus Printup performed with my high school jazz ensemble at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Convention in Chicago in 2005.  The students loved his playing and him as a person, and I thought it would be nice for him to share his talents with the students at Southeastern,” said Mr. Paul Frechou on choosing Printup as the guest.
Printup was featured playing the trumpet in two songs. The first, “Blue in Green,” by Bill Evans, appeared in Miles Davis’ “Kinda Blue,” the number one best-selling jazz album to date. The second song was “St. Louis Blues,” by W.C. Handy.
The Southeastern jazz ensemble received a standing ovation at the conclusion of Saturday’s events.