Hanford West puts on final band performance of school year Tuesday

Local residents are invited to attend the final performance of the 2007-2008 school year of Hanford West High School band students on Tuesday. Lisa Butts, band director, said audience members can expect "an extravaganza of great music."

Highlights of the concert will include a piece performed by Jazz Band "A" and featuring a professional trumpet solo by Bill Butts. They will play "MacArthur Park" as a tribute to Maynard Ferguson, the renowned trumpet player and bandleader who died in 2006.

Also at the concert, the symphonic band will play what Butts called a "crazy piece," "Albanian Dance." Butts said that piece is "really fast and really exciting."

Becky Porter, a junior who plays the flute in the symphonic band, said the piece is hard, but fun to play.

"People should come see what we've been working on because it's going to be really good," she said.

The Hanford West "A" jazz band took fourth place in its division at the 46th Annual Reno Jazz Festival on April 24. More than 330 middle, high school and college groups participated in the festival.

World-class jazz artists, music educators and thousands of jazz students spent three days immersed in live-jazz performance, competitions and clinics. Evening concerts featured jazz superstars including pianist Fred Hersch and saxophonist Kenny Garrett with his quartet.

Tuesday's performance will begin at 7 p.m. at the Stratton Tarvin Presentation Center at Hanford High School. There is no cost to attend but donations will be welcomed.

The reporter can be reached at 583-2424.

(May 12, 2008)