Jazz, blues bands to perform
at river
 By
Jeff Cantwell
Staff Writer
This weekend, music will hit the river.
The sixth annual Riverfront Jazz and Blues Festival
is being held Saturday. The show will feature seven bands on two stages,
providing constant music from 3 p.m. to midnight.
Headlining the show are the Clayton Miller Band
and the Tony Zamora Jazz Ensemble.
Don Seabold, the director of booking for the festival,
and Purdue jazz teacher, praises the bands and is anticipating the show.
"The Tony Zamora Jazz Ensemble is as good as anything
you will see in New York," said Seabold. "And the Clayton Miller Band
is one of the best blues bands in the region."
This year the festival is featuring bands on a
local and regional level, rather than searching for national talent
like it has in years past.
Also different from years past, the Purdue Jazz
band will not be performing; however, there is a band with a Purdue
affiliation.
Tony Zamora, a professional jazz musician, was
the director of the Purdue Black Cultural Center for 23 years.
Zamora has performed at all the festivals and sees
the Riverfront as a way to pursue one of his passions, which is educating
young people about Jazz music and jobs in the music industry.
"This is a tremendous opportunity for people of
all ages to get exposure to one of America's true music traditions,"
he said. "And it's a chance to bridge the gap between people young and
old who are interested in jazz."
But more than anything, Zamora said he's looking
forward to sharing what he loves to do with his community.
"It's a tremendous opportunity to be able to express
yourself and what you have on your mind and be able to put that out
there for people to share and enjoy," Zamora said. It's a call and response,
and the more the audience responds, the more we're able to take the
music to another level."
The Riverfront Jazz and Blues Festival is a charity
event that supports the Hanna Community Center, the Greater Lafayette
Volunteer Bureau, and the Downtown Business Center, all of which are
local non profit organizations.
The festival is being sponsored by the Alcoa foundation,
which is the first time it has received a major sponsor. Harry Brown,
Executive Director of the Volunteer Bureau, is appreciative of the sponsorship.
"It has allowed us to continue the event with a
higher level of quality entertainment and the ability to bring in good
regional bands, said Brown.
Located at the Riehle Plaza, the festival is just
a short walk from campus. There will be a variety of food and beverages
available and ticket prices range from $7 for adults ($5 in advance)
and $5 for students and children.
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