Mustafa to Make Music With North Scott Students
 By Scott Campbell, North Scott Press

 ELDRIDGE - Jazz great Melton Mustafa will be sharing a stage with Lancer musicians when the North Scott High
 School Instrumental Music Department presents its First Annual Spring Jazz Concert on Monday, May 10 in the Fine
 Arts Auditorium.  The program, which will begin at 7 p.m., will feature the 8th Grade Jazz Band in addition to North  Scott's Jazz I and Jazz II groups. Admission is $5 for adults ($3 for students and senior citizens).

 In addition to performing Monday night with the students, the Miami-based Mustafa, a renowned trumpeter-composer,  will be presenting workshops for both junior and senior high musicians. He will also be providing master classes for  advanced players. "He'll be coming in Sunday and will be rehearsing with Jazz I on Sunday evening. Then he'll be
 spending the day with us on Monday and flying out again Tuesday," said NSHS jazz director Mike McMann, adding, "We're going to spread him around a little bit while he's here."

 Bringing this caliber of musical talent to a high school stage is quite a coup for North Scott, according to officials. "He's  definitely right up there (with the best). He's played with all the big names in jazz (including the Count Basie and Duke  Ellington orchestras)," said McMann, who was instrumental in setting up the local artist-in-residence event. The instructor  said he had an opportunity to perform with Mustafa several years ago while serving as a graduate assistant for the jazz  program at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. That provided the necessary "in." Now, McMann wants North Scott  students to experience that same thrill of actually making music with this jazz legend, who formed his own orchestra in  1992 and made it a powerhouse of the musical genre.

 The Melton Mustafa Orchestra blends swing and blues with bebop, modal and Afro-Cuban flavors. "We're just really  excited to let the students hear him and play (along) with him," he noted. "It's not generally done - (having) high schools  hire a guest artist to come in and perform with them.
 
 This is kind of a unique opportunity for these students. When they leave high school they'll be able to say they performed  with these (famous) artists." The North Scott Jazz Department has brought many top musicians to the school as a way of  providing students with a rich, solid jazz foundation. The legendary list includes Louie Bellson, Randy Brecker, Jiggs  Whigham, Jim Pugh, Slide Hampton and Bobby Shew, to name a few. NIU's famed Jazz Ensemble also makes a regular  stop in Eldridge as part of its November tour.
 
 Mustafa's local appearance has been made possible, in part, through contributions from local residents and businesses. A  Jazz-A-Thon, held in January to raise funds for the event, brought in more than $2,000, according to McMann. "The  response was great. We had a lot of people show up. I would like to thank everybody that has helped with donations and  support. It wouldn't be possible without that," he emphasized.
 
 The North Scott Jazz Department consists of two jazz ensembles and three combos. Students are selected by audition,  and perform at numerous festivals and concerts throughout the year. The NS instructors plan to make the Spring Jazz  Concert an annual event, bringing in more big names for some interactive learning and great entertainment. "We do have  somebody lined up for next May," said McMann, adding that it takes a lot of advance preparation to make these events  possible. "We've been planning this for a long time. We're extremely excited."