NAU Jazz Festival 2017 Dear Jazz Educators, Northern Arizona University Jazz Studies would like to invite you the 55th annual NAU Jazz Festival to be held February 23-25, 2017.

NAU Jazz Festival is an ABODA sanctioned festival for middle school, high school, and community colleges. Our festival is a non-competitive setting, which creates a relaxed atmosphere and promotes education. Big bands and combos perform for three adjudicators to receive ratings and/or comments. Following the performances each group participates in a clinic with one of our esteemed adjudicator/clinicians. Directors will receive written comments as well as CD recordings of both their band’s performance and adjudicator comments.

In the past, the NAU Jazz Festival has featured the talents of many renowned guest artists such as Jim McNeely, Peter Erskine, John Abercrombie, Maria Schneider, Bobby Shew, Ernie Watts, Randy Brecker, Brice Winston, Jeremy Pelt, Glenn Zaleski, and Lucas Pino.

This year’s festival will feature talented trombonist-composer, Nick Finzer. Nick is quickly becoming one of the most in demand trombonists and band leaders in NYC and has been extremely active as an educator and clinician. He holds degrees from The Eastman School of Music and The Juilliard School and recently served as Visiting Professor of Jazz Trombone at Florida State University, 2014-2016. His recent recording as a leader, The Chase has received critical acclaim, rising to number six in JazzWeek chart and he is currently preparing for the release of his latest record, Hear and Now in early 2017. Read more about Nick in the included biography.

Nick Finzer will give an open clinic on Friday, February 24th at 1:00 pm in Ardrey Memorial Auditorium. The clinic is free and open to the public. Our Guest Artist Concert will also be Friday, February 24th at 8pm featuring Nick with NAU Jazz Ensemble One in Ardrey Memorial Auditorium. Tickets will be available through the NAU Central Ticket Office at (888) 520-7214.

Your application form is included with this letter. Please submit your application and payment by the due date of Friday, February 10, 2017. In recent years we have had very full schedules with waiting lists for some days. Applications will be processed as they are received. Please return your application in a timely manner to ensure your band’s participation in the festival.

We look forward to seeing you in February!

Regards,

Chris Finet String Bass and Jazz Studies Northern Arizona University School of Music

Nick Finzer is one of the most exciting musicians of the millennial generation.

An award-winning composer, arranger, and trombonist, Finzer is bringing the joy and power of Jazz to both traditional fans and 21st century audiences who try everything from flying off cliffs in specially-designed suits to fugu sushi. He’s on a mission to be a passionate voice defining the sound of Jazz in this age, and to bring a little street cred to the trombone, which is a bold, tight sound.

In January of 2013 Nick released his recording debut as a bandleader and composer with “Exposition” (Outside In Music). Two tracks appearing on the album garnered Finzer a pair of accolades: The prestigious American Society of Composers and Performers (ASCAP)’s Herb Alpert Award for young composers (2013 & 2015)

Finzer has been seen across the globe on television and the web millions of times as part of the pop web phenom band, Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox. He has toured with the group in North America and Europe. His Jazz videos and albums are seen and heard around the world as well.

Famed trombonist and mentor Wycliffe Gordon called Finzer “a new voice [in] the pantheon of upcoming trombone greats in the making” and added “Nick's CD is a glowing example of things to come.”

In 2011 Nick was the winner of the Eastern Trombone Workshop’s National Jazz Trombone Competition and was a finalist in the 2010 International Trombone Association’s Carl Fontana Jazz Trombone Competition.

Born into the musical world (Mom Sherry Finzer is an international flutist), Finzer developed a fascination for the music of Duke Ellington and found himself, in high school, performing at the annual Essentially Ellington competition of Jazz at Lincoln Center. It was then that he decided to pursue a life in music himself. His budding talent was recognized by Wycliffe Gordon who began a life-long mentorship by writing four pieces for the young Finzer while he attended the Eastman School of Music. Nick went on to get his masters at Juilliard’s prestigious Jazz program where he was mentored by the trombone legend Steve Turre.

In 2014, Nick composed two new album-length works,. HIs first, “The Chase” debuts in July of 2015 on the Origin Records label, and his “Ten Year Suite,” is in performance development and will have a future album release.

Finzer has performed at top Jazz clubs and concert halls with Wynton Marsalis’ Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Lucas Pino’s No Net Nonet, Bob Stewart’s Double Quartet, Frank Wess, Lew Tabackin, Terrell Stafford, Lewis Nash and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Walt Weiskopf, John Clayton, Slide Hampton, Frank Kimbrough, Carl Allen, Ray Drummond, Steve Turre and many more.

For more information or his EPK, contact brian.ross@therossgroupft.com or at 561.504.1199.

NICK FINZER

B I O G R A P H Y