Alcorn’s annual Jazz Festival to celebrate 40 years of musical entertainment
This year’s annual music showcase will be special, as Alcorn State University will celebrate four decades of entertainment with its highly anticipated jazz concert.
The 40th Anniversary Alcorn State University Jazz Festival will kick off Thursday, April 22, on the Plaza on the main campus. A workshop with the Southeast Jazz All-Stars will be held a 1 p.m., and performances from the All-Stars, along with Alcorn’s Jazz Combo and Jazz Ensemble, will be a 2 p.m.
The events continue Friday, April 23, from 4 – 7 p.m. at Washington Street Park in Vicksburg, Mississippi. The backup venue for the event, in case it rains, will be at The Vicksburg, located on 801 Clay Street in Vicksburg. The Mississippi Jazz Educators will join the All-Stars and the Alcorn Jazz Combo as performers for the event.
The celebration’s finale will be held Saturday, Oct. 16, at the Vicksburg Convention Center. The all-day event will include performances from school groups from across the southeast Mississippi region and the Mississippi Jazz Educators. The Cassandra Wilson Group will perform and host a workshop during the event.
Dr. David Miller, professor, and director of the Jazz Festival expressed pride in the event's longevity and looks forward to its continuation in the future.
"Alcorn State University has reached a real milestone in completing four decades of presenting some of the best jazz musicians in the history of the music at our annual jazz festival,” said Miller. “This is an ongoing event that has in so many ways put Alcorn on the international map. It is significant that this milestone coincides with the 150-year birthday celebration of the University. It is very important to the larger region that this iconic tradition of excellence continues."
