By Lizmary Ortiz

In the United States, April is known as Jazz Appreciation Month. The month was created and was given its title by John Edward Hasse, curator of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, in 2001 so as to recognize and showcase jazz music. The Jazz Appreciation Concert shone a spotlight on this widely-known American art form that has had a substantial impact on the nation’s heritage.

Sean Marks, the director of instrumental music at The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush High School, coordinated the event. The showcase consisted of two acts with several musical performances, consisting of vocal, dance, and instrumental majors that have come together to present classic jazz standards. Some of the performances include “I’ve Got the World on a String” sung by Joe West, “Feeling Good” as performed by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse, and “It Don’t Mean a Thing” by vocalists Christine Carey and Tyanna Johnson-Deshields. There were also instrumental numbers, with some being “Manteca” as played by Dizzy Gillespie, Walter Gil Fuller, and Luciano Pozo Gonzalez, “Recordame” by Joe Henderson, “Go Go” by Bob Mintzer, and “Basically Blues” by Phil Wilson.

The Instrumental music department came together to highlight the iconic style of music that still lives on today. Thanks to the efforts of Mr. Marks, students and parents alike were able to experience the talent of the artists at Rush as they showcased a pillar of American culture. As Jazz Appreciation Month was created to recognize and appreciate jazz music, Rush’s Jazz Appreciation Showcase was put together as a form of uniting students from different majors to present the importance of jazz. They have become a part of the growing movement in which artists expose today’s youth to the stimulating genre of music that remains an element of today’s music industry. The showcase exhibited the significance and diversity of the genre, all while engaging students in a lively show that is to be continued in years to come.