News

Calhoun Community College and the Calhoun Foundation to Host Second Annual “Jazz Under the Stars”

April 20, 2018

Calhoun Community College and the Calhoun Foundation will once again host “Jazz Under the Stars”, scheduled for Thursday, April 26, 2018, from 6:00-8:00 pm on the lawn of the Alabama Center for the Arts, 133 2nd Avenue, NE, in downtown Decatur (directly across from the Princess Theatre).  In the event of rain, the concert will move inside to the Princess Theatre.

This free, family-friendly outdoor concert will feature music and vocal performances by Calhoun’s Jazz Band, under the direction of Josh Couts and accompanied by renowned guest musicians Ken Watters, Billy Bargetzi and Steve Motz.

Watters is a Summit Records artist with seven CDs to date released internationally on the label, all of which spent significant time in the top 50 on the US jazz and/or world music charts. He is a Jupiter-XO Professional Brass Artist/Clinician, Facet Mutes Artist & SESAC-affiliated jazz composer and has performed, recorded and/or toured with such famous performers as Frank Sinatra, Cee-Lo, Natalie Cole, Jason Isbell, Carlos Santana, Wyclef Jean, Mingus Big Band, Marc Anthony, Toshiko Akiyoshi Big Band, The Fifth Dimension, Dave Valentin, and Gregg Allman.

Bargetzi has performed all over the U.S. and in Europe with some of the finest musical artists in the world, such as The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Arturo Sandoval, Rosemary Clooney, The Four Tops, The Temptations, and many others. He has also worked extensively at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, on three different ships for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, at The Famous Door on Bourbon St. in New Orleans, and has been a clinician and performer for the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE), Florida chapter. A native and current resident of Huntsville, he joined the faculty at UAHuntsville in 2012, has a large studio of students, does clinics and performs all around the southeast U.S.

Upon receiving a degree in music from the University of Denver Lamont School of Music, Colorado born saxophonist Motz began his musical adventure as a freelance saxophonist performing in the Denver area at multiple venues. Though inspiring in many ways, a six-month road trip through the midwest ballroom dance halls with the Verne Byers’ Glenn Miller Big Band Revival inspired Motz to move on, which landed him in Alabama. He has performed with a multitude of musicians in the Huntsville area. In addition to continuing to play with anyone who can handle his “outside” outbursts, he serves as the Jazz Saxophone Studio Instructor at the University of Alabama Huntsville (UAH).

“We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to once again bring this free evening of musical entertainment to downtown Decatur,” commented Calhoun President Dr. Jim Klauber.  “Due to the support of our local community, last year’s inaugural concert was a tremendous success. We are looking forward to seeing many returning attendees as well as lots of new faces at this year’s event,” said Klauber.

“This community continues to be extremely supportive of Calhoun and our students, and we see this as a way to say ‘thank you” for this support,” Klauber added.  Attendees to the concert are invited to bring lawn chairs, blankets and a picnic dinner.  No glass bottles will be permitted at the site.

Sponsors for the event include Robins and Morton Architects; Fite Construction; Renasant Bank, Sain Engineering Associates, Inc.; Senator Arthur Orr; GMC (Goodwin Mills and Caywood); Hodges Trail Lawyers, PC; and Regions Bank.

A ticketed, pre-event dinner is also planned for the evening.  A limited number of seats are still available to the dinner.  For more information, visit the Calhoun website at www.calhoun.edu/jazz-under-the-stars; deadline to purchase tickets is Monday, April 23, 2018, at 11:59 pm.  Proceeds from the dinner and sponsorships will go to support scholarships and musical education programs at Calhoun.

For additional information on the event, call 256-713-4823 or visit www.calhoun.edu/jazz-under-the-stars.