Maplerock Jazz Festival set for Friday, March 18

ASHLAND, Ohio – The 41st annual Maplerock Jazz Festival, an educational and entertaining event that features the Ashland University Jazz Orchestra mixing with internationally-recognized jazz luminaries as well as regional scholastic groups, will take place this Friday, March 18, on the campus of Ashland University. All performances are at the Hugo Young Theatre inside the Center for the Arts (401 College Ave.).

Area high school bands will play a non-competitive format from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., while AUJO will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. with special guests Brad Goode (trumpet), Chris Coles (saxophone), Sam Blakeslee (trombone) and Zach Brock (violin).

A variety of pieces will be played during the evening program including “Be Thou My Vision,” as arranged by Paul Ferguson, “Braided Together” by Maria Schneider, Herbie Hancock’s “Driftin’,” “Easy to Love” by Cole Porter and arranged by Frank Foster, Ray Charles’ “Hallelujah I Love Her So,” arranged by Victor Lopez and Victor Young’s “My Foolish Heart,” arranged by Blakeslee.

The festival is named after the process by which the region’s Indigenous people extracted maple syrup, according to Scott Garlock, director of the award-winning AUJO and professor of music at AU.

Tickets for the AUJO program of the Maplerock Jazz Festival can be purchased online at ashland.universitytickets.com or at the AU campus store. For more ticket info, call 419-289-5336.

Ashland University is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.