December 02, 2008
Tuesday

Ketchikan, Alaska - Treat yourself to the talent of many of Ketchikan's finest young musicians in "An Evening of Jazz, Rock, and Blues" at 7 pm on Tuesday, December 9 in the Kayhi auditorium. The concert will feature a wide range of music ranging from ballads to hard-driving jazz tunes, swing, Latin, rock, TV themes and bluegrass. The concert is a benefit for the Sam Pitcher Music Scholarship Fund. Admission is by donation. Students in grades 5 and up will be performing with adult instructors joining some groups.

The concert will kick off with the Soundwaves Jazz Club. Jolene Pflaum, a former scholarship recipient, will be featured on trombone in Henry Mancini's "Dreamsville." Another favorite will be "Take Five" made famous by Dave Brubeck.

The Discovery Jazz Club will follow. It is the youngest and largest of the jazz clubs with 24 students. Inga Christensen's trumpet solo will be featured on the Beatles tune, "The Fool on the Hill." They will also perform the theme from the TV series "Sanford and Son" as well as a Ray Charles piece.

This will be the sixth annual Sam Pitcher Memorial Concert and the first with new Kayhi band director Julie Cron leading the Kayhi Jazz Ensemble. Included in their performance will be Mel Torme's "Christmas Song" and Duke Ellington's "Mood Indigo." Former Kayhi band director Dale Curtis will be performing in the trumpet section with the last group of the evening, the Windjammers Jazz Club.

"Critic's Choice," recorded by the Buddy Rich Band, will be the opening number for the Windjammers Jazz Club. It will be followed by a Stan Kenton ballad, "Here's That Rainy Day, Cole Porter's "Get Out of Town" with soloist Jolene Pflaum on bass trombone, some very special bluegrass music, and a blazing jazz tune called "Barnburner."

The concert and scholarship fund was set up in memory of Seming "Sam" Pitcher who died from myocarditis in 2003 when he was a sophomore at Kayhi. Sam had a passion for music. He played trumpet, flugelhorn and electric guitar with all of the groups performing as well as The Rubber Band and the Kayhi Wind Ensemble. He also enjoyed attending the Sitka Fine Arts Camp and Interlochen Fine Arts Camp in Michigan. Those experiences inspired the creation of this scholarship fund to help other young musicians in grades 7 - 12 attend similar summer music programs. Recipients of scholarships in 2008 were Trapper Bishop, Louise Bryant, Niles Corporon, Sy Hovick, Gunnar Keizer, Leslie Snodderly and April Souza.

Students interested in applying for a scholarship for 2009 should take note of this year's earlier due date of January 1. Up to $1000 per student will be awarded based on the applicant's musical ability, goals, and motivation. More information and applications are available at McPherson Music, the Kayhi counselor's office, and the Ketchikan Area Arts & Humanities Council office and website. The Sam Pitcher Memorial Fund is an Advisory Group of the Ketchikan Area Arts & Humanities Council. Tax deductible contributions can be made to the scholarship fund in care of KAAHC at 716 Totem Way, Ketchikan.

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Ketchikan, Alaska