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WHS Jazz Band once again grand champion at
WIU Jazz Festival
The Williamville High School Jazz Band was one of 19 guest high school groups to compete at this year’
s 2010 Western Illinois University Jazz Festival Feb. 20 on the WIU Macomb campus.
Bands from Illinois, Iowa and Missouri were represented in four classes by school enrollments.
Williamsville competed in class 2A, which is schools with 346-762 students. Not only did the WHS Jazz
Band win the 2A division, but finished first of 11 entries in the Small Schools (1A and 2A Divisions), once
again earning the Grand Champion of the Small Schools Division Trophy. In fact, the Bullet Jazz Band, of the
entire 1A through 4A classes (all bands and combos), finished with the second highest score of the day.
The only school to total a higher score the entire day was Prospect High School, Mt. Prospect, of northwest
suburban Chicago.
Prospect H.S. was in the 4A Division. (enrollments 1,720+), finishing with an average point total of 94.67,
compared to the WHS total 93.67.
The 1A Class was won by Highland High School (Mo.), with an overall 85.66 score (2A Class won by
WHS with a 93.67 score). The 3A Class was won by Mahomet-Seymour High School, also with an 85.66
average score.
As mentioned, in the 4A Class, Prospect H.S. defeated large schools jazz powers Davenport (Iowa)
Central H.S. (89.33); Mundelein High School; Naperville Central (89.00); and Bolingbrook (88.00) and
several others.
The Williamsville High School score of 93.66 is one of the highest averages a WHS Band has earned in
the years of competing at this event. Tying for Class 2A were Downs Tri-Valley High School and Sherrard
High School.
Earning the Outstanding Jazz Musicianship Award for the Small Schools Division (1A and 2A schools)
was WHS Senior drummer Anthony Mangiaracina. Anthony was honored with a plaque at the awards
ceremony Saturday evening.
The students attended clinics and sessions with WIU professors of jazz in the morning, and prior to
performing in the early afternoon had the opportunity to attend a session with Jazz Festival guest artist John
Clayton, world-renowned bassist from Los Angeles. Most people recognize Mr. Clayton as the bassist that
took over for the great Ray Brown of the Count Basie Orchestra, later organized his own Clayton-Hamilton
Big Band with drum great Jeff Hamilton. He is more recently recognized as jazz great Diana Krall’s Bass
player, in her trio, as well as international tours with Ms. Krall. Mr. Clayton is also known to many as the
composer of what many people call the best rendition of the Star Spangled Banner ever done at a Super
Bowl, that being John Clayton’s 1990 arrangement that Whitney Houston performed at that year’s Super
Bowl.
The students enjoyed learning what the professors and Mr. Clayton had to offer in these clinics, which in
director Dave Pruitt’s opinion, “was the highlight of the day.”
“Here is a guy that most recently played on every track of Barbra Streisand’s new album (co-produced
with Diana Krall) in 2009, and our kids are having a question and answer session with him. It was an
incredible music education experience for our WHS Jazz Band students and parents,” said Pruitt. “I am very
proud of this band.”
The WHS Band enjoyed a 3 p.m. concert by the WIU Jazz Studio Orchestra, which featured several guest
artists along with John Clayton. Joining Mr. Clayton as guest artists were two of the festival adjudicators:
Mark Colby from DePaul University, and David Hoffman, trumpet/featured soloist for 13 years with the Ray
Charles Orchestra, from Speer. All three professionals performed with the WIU JSO for over an hour.
Performing in the Western Illinois University JSO, playing lead trombone, is 2009 Williamsville High School
grad Kyle Traeger, a freshman Music Business Major, from Williamsville.
WIU Jazz Festival
The Williamville High School Jazz Band was one of 19 guest high school groups to compete at this year’
s 2010 Western Illinois University Jazz Festival Feb. 20 on the WIU Macomb campus.
Bands from Illinois, Iowa and Missouri were represented in four classes by school enrollments.
Williamsville competed in class 2A, which is schools with 346-762 students. Not only did the WHS Jazz
Band win the 2A division, but finished first of 11 entries in the Small Schools (1A and 2A Divisions), once
again earning the Grand Champion of the Small Schools Division Trophy. In fact, the Bullet Jazz Band, of the
entire 1A through 4A classes (all bands and combos), finished with the second highest score of the day.
The only school to total a higher score the entire day was Prospect High School, Mt. Prospect, of northwest
suburban Chicago.
Prospect H.S. was in the 4A Division. (enrollments 1,720+), finishing with an average point total of 94.67,
compared to the WHS total 93.67.
The 1A Class was won by Highland High School (Mo.), with an overall 85.66 score (2A Class won by
WHS with a 93.67 score). The 3A Class was won by Mahomet-Seymour High School, also with an 85.66
average score.
As mentioned, in the 4A Class, Prospect H.S. defeated large schools jazz powers Davenport (Iowa)
Central H.S. (89.33); Mundelein High School; Naperville Central (89.00); and Bolingbrook (88.00) and
several others.
The Williamsville High School score of 93.66 is one of the highest averages a WHS Band has earned in
the years of competing at this event. Tying for Class 2A were Downs Tri-Valley High School and Sherrard
High School.
Earning the Outstanding Jazz Musicianship Award for the Small Schools Division (1A and 2A schools)
was WHS Senior drummer Anthony Mangiaracina. Anthony was honored with a plaque at the awards
ceremony Saturday evening.
The students attended clinics and sessions with WIU professors of jazz in the morning, and prior to
performing in the early afternoon had the opportunity to attend a session with Jazz Festival guest artist John
Clayton, world-renowned bassist from Los Angeles. Most people recognize Mr. Clayton as the bassist that
took over for the great Ray Brown of the Count Basie Orchestra, later organized his own Clayton-Hamilton
Big Band with drum great Jeff Hamilton. He is more recently recognized as jazz great Diana Krall’s Bass
player, in her trio, as well as international tours with Ms. Krall. Mr. Clayton is also known to many as the
composer of what many people call the best rendition of the Star Spangled Banner ever done at a Super
Bowl, that being John Clayton’s 1990 arrangement that Whitney Houston performed at that year’s Super
Bowl.
The students enjoyed learning what the professors and Mr. Clayton had to offer in these clinics, which in
director Dave Pruitt’s opinion, “was the highlight of the day.”
“Here is a guy that most recently played on every track of Barbra Streisand’s new album (co-produced
with Diana Krall) in 2009, and our kids are having a question and answer session with him. It was an
incredible music education experience for our WHS Jazz Band students and parents,” said Pruitt. “I am very
proud of this band.”
The WHS Band enjoyed a 3 p.m. concert by the WIU Jazz Studio Orchestra, which featured several guest
artists along with John Clayton. Joining Mr. Clayton as guest artists were two of the festival adjudicators:
Mark Colby from DePaul University, and David Hoffman, trumpet/featured soloist for 13 years with the Ray
Charles Orchestra, from Speer. All three professionals performed with the WIU JSO for over an hour.
Performing in the Western Illinois University JSO, playing lead trombone, is 2009 Williamsville High School
grad Kyle Traeger, a freshman Music Business Major, from Williamsville.
Issue Date: March 4, 2010