Saxophonist Marienthal to Perform at Jazz Festival April 3, 4

Saxophonist Eric Marienthal, who began his career playing with trumpet legend Al Hirt and has since performed with many of the top artists in the U.S., will be the guest artist at the 13th annual ISU Jazz Festival April 3 and 4 in the Illinois State University School of Music.  He will perform each night with ISU Jazz Ensemble I in the Center for the Performing Arts Concert Hall.

Tickets are $7 to $10 and are available at the CPA box office at (309) 438-2535 or http://www.cfa.ilstu.edu/events/tickets.shtml

Numerous high school and junior high jazz bands will perform during the festival, and there will be master classes and performances by Eric Marienthal.  All are free.  

After achieving outstanding success as a student at the Berklee College of Music, Marienthal started his professional career in 1980 with famed New Orleans trumpeter Al Hirt. Upon returning to Los Angeles, Eric became a member of the Chick Corea Elektric Band, for whom he recorded six CD's, including two Grammy award winners. Marienthal went on to perform with artists such as Elton John, Barbara Streisand, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick, Burt Bacharach, Aaron Neville, Johnny Mathis, and many others.

The latest of Marienthal's 11 solo CD's is titled "Got You Covered," on Peak Records. Six of the songs he recorded have made it to the top 10 of the National Contemporary Jazz Radio Charts, and two have made it to No. 1.  His "Oasis" CD hit the top 5 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart.  Shortly after that, Marienthal was voted one of the year's "Favorite Alto Sax Players" in Jazziz Magazine's Reader's Poll, along with David Sanborn and Phil Woods.

Active in music education, Marienthal has also written three instructional books and three instructional videos, all published by Warner Bros. Publications.

Illinois State University Jazz Festival Schedule:

FRIDAY, APRIL 3

1:30 Jacksonville High School, Jacksonville

2:00 ROWVA High School, Oneida

2:30 Paxton Buckley Loda Jr. High I, Paxton

3:00 Bradley Central Middle School, Bradley

3:30 Paxton Buckley Loda Jr. High II, Paxton

4:00 Eric Marienthal Master Class

5:00 ISU Jazz Ensemble III

5:30 Paxton Buckley Loda High School II, Paxton

6:00 Morton Jr. High, Morton

6:30 Paxton Buckley Loda High School I, Paxton

7:00 CLEAR CONCERT HALL

7:30 DOORS OPEN

8:00 CONCERT

   1) ISU Jazz Ensemble II

   2) Eric Marienthal w/ ISU Jazz Ensemble I

SATURDAY, APRIL 4

noon Metamora High School, Metamora

12:30 Morton High School, Morton

1:00 Edison Middle School II, Champaign

1:30 H.L. Richards High School, Oak Lawn

2:00 Montello High School, Montello, Wis.

2:30 Edison Middle School I, Champaign

3:00 Westmont High School combo, Westmont

3:30 Eric Marienthal Master Class

4:30 ISU Jazz Ens II with Eric Marienthal

5:00 Pekin Community High School, Pekin

5:30 Westmont High School big band, Westmont

6:00 ISU Jazz Ensemble I

6:30 Awards Presentations (CPA)

7:00 CLEAR CONCERT HALL

7:30 DOORS OPEN

8:00 CONCERT:

    1) Grand Champion from competition

    2) Eric Marienthal w/ ISU Jazz Ensemble I