Foxborough High School Named 2013 Essentially Ellington Finalist

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With over two decades of national achievement, the Foxborough High School music department has orchestrated a legacy of excellence that rivals any other in New England.

And while that level of success breeds high expectations, the achievements of the 2012 FHS jazz band is nothing short of extraordinary.

Less than a week after performing in the fifth annual Charles Mingus High School Festival & Competition in New York City, the FHS jazz band received word that it is one of 15 finalists to compete in the prestigious 18th Annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival this spring at the Lincoln Center in New York.

The Essentially Ellington Competition & Festival (EE) will take place at Frederick P. Rose Hall from May 10–12. Foxborough and the other finalists were chosen out of nearly 100 high school jazz bands across teh country that entered the competition.

According to a community announcement published on Foxboro Cable Access' website, each school submitted recordings of three tunes performed from charts from Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington library.

The Essentially Ellington Finalists:

• American Music Program, Portland, OR
• Badger High School, Lake Geneva, WI
• Beloit Memorial High School, Beloit, WI
• Community Arts Program, Coral Gables, Fla.
• Dillard Center for the Arts, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
• Edmonds-Woodway High School, Edmonds, Wash.
• Foxborough High School, Foxborough
  
• Garfield High School, Seattle, Wash.
• Jazz House Kids, Montclair, N.J.
• Lexington High School, Lexington, Mass.
• New World School of the Arts, Miami, Fla.
• Rio Americano High School, Sacramento, Calif.
• Roosevelt High School, Seattle, Wash.

• Sun Prairie High School, Sun Prairie, WI
• Tucson Jazz Institute, Tucson, Ariz.

"Beginning on May 10, the 15 bands will compete for top honors and participate in workshops, jam sessions, and more during the three-day EE competition and festival in New York City," the announcement says. "The first half of the final concert on May 12 will feature the three top-placing bands performing with a member of the world renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO) as guest soloist. The second half will feature the JLCO – whose members serve as mentors for the finalist bands throughout the weekend – performing a repertoire of tunes made famous by Duke Ellington. The festival concludes with an awards ceremony honoring outstanding soloists, sections and the three top-placing bands."

The entire weekend of EE events, including the final concert featuring the three top-placing bands and the JLCO, will be webcast live on jalc.org/live, according to the announcement.

The Competition & Festival is the culmination of the annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Program (EE), which also includes regional festivals, teaching resources, a summer Band Director Academy, newsletters, and more.

The 2012-13 Essentially Ellington repertoire includes, Duke Ellington’s “Blood Count,” “Bonga,” “Echoes of Harlem,” “Lightnin’,” “Royal Garden Blues,” and “Second Line.”

Fore more information, click here.