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Jazzers Perform in Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Youth Jazz Ensemble
The Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Youth Jazz Ensemble features the finest high school jazz musicians from the Quad Cities Area. This year, there are six North Scott Band students performing in the group. They are: Lee Burress, Shawn Spencer, Bernie Haas, Drew Thompson, Mark Petersma, and Kristena Easter. They perform at numerous community events and cap off their year with numerous performances at the Bix Jazz Festival in July.

Lee Burress Selected for All-State Jazz Band
Senior trumpeter Lee Burress was recently selected to play in the Iowa All-State Jazz Band. The group is made up of some of the top high school jazz musicians in the state, and will be performing in May at the Iowa Bandmasters Convention. Two other NSHS jazzers also recognized: Kristena Easter and Courtney Beadel were named first alternates on alto sax and piano, respectively.

Jazz Bands Swing at Festivals
In February, the NS Jazz Bands traveled to Macomb, IL to participate in the WIU Jazz Festival. Both groups played extremely well, receiving a rare standing ovation from a traditionally indifferent crowd. Jazz 2 placed first in the 2nd band division, and Jazz 1 placed first in the large school category and were named Grand Champion overall. Students receiving special recognition were: Meredith Abbott on trumpet, Kelsey Dunn on alto sax, Zan Preston on guitar, Lee Burress on trumpet, Kristena Easter on alto sax & clarinet, Shawn Spencer on guitar, Luke Carlstrom on bass, and Lindsey Drenter on vocals. Both bands put on very inspirational performances.

On March 6, the jazzers traveled to Iowa City for the SEIBA District Jazz Festival. Again, the jazz bands performed very well. Inspiring another standing ovation, Jazz 1 received first place in Class 4A for the first time in many years. Individuals earning special recognition included: Shawn Spencer, Guitar; Lindsey Drenter, Vocals; Bernie Haas, Trumpet; Mark Petersma, Trombone; Lindsay Eickstaedt, Clarinet; Rachel Talbot, Clarinet; Kristena Easter, Clarinet; Lee Burress, Trumpet; Kelsey Dunn, Alto Sax; Zan Preston, Guitar; Alex Pehler, Bari Sax; and Meredith Abbott, Trumpet.

Jazz 1 Invited to Iowa Jazz Championships
Following the 1st Place finish at SEIBA, Jazz 1 received an invitation to perform at the Jazz Championships in Des Moines on April 6th. They will be performing at the Civic Center at 1:15 pm. This will be a great opportunity for the students to perform in a large concert hall and hear some other great bands.

Jazz 1 Performs with Victor Mendoza
In January, Jazz 1 performed with jazz great Victor Mendoza. Victor is a world-renowned jazz vibraphonist / recording artist. The concert took place at Centennial Hall (Augustana College). Jazz 1 opened the concert on their own, and then brought Mr. Mendoza out to perform a few numbers with them. He was very complimentary and had a great time with the band. (Even gave a pair of his signature series vibe mallets to senior Jessica Viner)

Web Page Up and Running!!!
Check the website often for the latest band announcements, calendars and schedules, contact information, policies and grading information, itineraries, and much more. We hope parents, students, and the community will use this website to keep informed of what is happening in the NSHS Band Department.
The Web site address is: www.nsband.com

Melton Mustafa to Join NS Jazz Bands for Spring Jazz Concert
The NSHS Jazz Department will be hosting legendary trumpeter Melton Mustafa for the Spring Jazz Concert on May 10, 2004. Mr. Mustafa has performed with both Count Basie and Duke Ellington, and promises to electrify the audience! He will be spending the day working with both High School and Junior High students, then will take the stage that evening with Jazz 1, following the Jazz 2 performance. For more bio information on Mr. Mustafa, please visit www.nsband.com.

Melton Mustafa
The younger brother of saxophonist Jesse Jones, Jr., Melton Mustafa is an expressive, hot-blooded trumpeter who played mostly jazz in the 1980s and 1990s but has also done his share of R&B sessions over the years.
Mustafa was born and raised in Miami, where he started playing the trumpet in junior high school and, as a teen-ager, played in a five-piece R&B/calypso band led by his brother. As a young adult in the 1960s, Mustafa studied at Berklee College of Music and Mississippi Valley State College before graduating from Florida A&M with a degree in music education. Mustafa ended up backing quite a few soul artists in the late 1960s and 1970s, including Sam & Dave,
Betty Wright, Latimore, the Marvelettes and Joe Simon. But he still wanted to play jazz, and his visibility on the Miami jazz scene increased when he was hired as a sideman by hard bopper and former Chicago resident Ira Sullivan. In the 1980s, Mustafa played with the Duke Ellington Orchestra (which was led by Mercer Ellington) and was employed as a sideman by Jaco Pastorius (who used Mustafa in his Word of Mouth band), James Williams, Bobby Watson and John Hicks. Mustafa joined the Count Basie Orchestra in 1984 and stayed with that band for eight years before leaving in 1992 and forming his own big band not long after that. After signing with Contemporary/Fantasy, Mustafa recorded his first album a leader, Boiling Point, in 1995, followed by St. Louis Blues in 1997.

Note from the "editor": We would like to thank the Music Boosters for all of their help-many of the events mentioned in this newsletter would not have been possible without their time and support. Thanks also to the parents for the support you give your children and our program. It is obvious why this program continues to be successful. We have many students that go above and beyond the call of duty to further their experiences and enhance others'. Thanks for all that you (the students) do!!!