Grammy Award-winning saxophonist and composer Alex Hahn will be the guest artist for TJC’s annual Jazz Festival, set Thursday and Friday, Feb. 29 and March 1, on the TJC central campus.
Hahn will share his knowledge and performance skills with young musicians from area schools during the two-day festival, which will be held in Wise Auditorium, located in the Rogers Palmer Performing Arts Center.
He will also perform with the TJC Jazz Ensembles both nights at 7:30 p.m., in Wise Auditorium. Admission is free, and the public is invited to attend.
About Alex Hahn
A performer, composer and educator, Alex Hahn is based in Los Angeles, California.
Still early in his career, Hahn recorded on Michael Bublé’s last three Grammy-nominated studio albums and has performed with many renowned artists including Herbie Hancock, Esperanza Spalding, Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, and many others.
He has performed and taught all over the world including the Panama Jazz Festival, Sitka Alaska Jazz Festival, and at International Jazz Day in Havana, Cuba, and St. Petersburg, Russia.
Hahn earned his Master of Music degree at the Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz, where he studied with jazz legends Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Jimmy Heath and more. He also holds a Master of Music degree in jazz studies from the University of Southern California, where he was a graduate student and teaching assistant under Bob Mintzer and Jason Goldman.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Music from the University of North Texas in 2014 where he performed and recorded with the seven-time Grammy-nominated One O’ Clock Lab Band. He was a featured soloist on the Lab 2014 Album. During his time at North Texas, Hahn was selected as a member of the Disney All-American College Band, an ensemble of top college musicians from all across the United States.
In addition to his work as a side musician, he has recorded and released four studio albums featuring his own original music. His studio albums include “Traveling” in 2014, “Emerging” in 2017, “New Flight” in 2019, “Second Wind” in 2021, and “Colors” in 2023.
Tyler Junior College Jazz Ensembles will perform during TJC’s annual Jazz Festival, 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Feb. 29 and March 1, in Wise Auditorium, located in Rogers Palmer Performing Arts Center on the TJC central campus.
Hahn is also a passionate educator and has held master classes, clinics and guest artist appearances at the University of North Texas, Cal Tech University, San Jose State, Saddleback College, as well as a number of high schools and middle schools around the world. He also currently serves as the Director of Jazz at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts.
“It’s always a big thrill for us to bring someone of Alex’s caliber to come and work with our students,” said Micah Bell, TJC professor of trumpet and jazz, who directs Jazz Ensemble 1.
“In addition to improving their skills as players, the students get an idea of what it’s like to be a real, working musician by learning from someone who has spent years in the profession, honing his craft.”
The TJC Jazz Ensembles
TJC Jazz Ensemble 1 students and their hometowns are: Samuel Antonio, Tyler; Micah Brown, Tyler; Jonathan Canaday, Palestine; Will Culbertson, Paris; Kristen Davenport, Waco; Dalton Echols, Paris; Caleb Fisher, Sherman; Anthony Foto, Frankston; Mitchell Gilbert, Bullard; Caleb Haffner, Overton; Alexa Hearn, Junction; Rian Howard, Lindale; Aidan Lester, The Colony; Juan Najera, Springtown; Harvey Nguyen, Whitehouse; Manases Nieto, Longview; Zachary Paul, Terrell; Aaron Roden, Lindale; Tanner Sparrow, Crandall; and Anthony Vargas, Elkhart.
TJC Jazz Ensemble 2 students and their hometowns are: Benjamin Cannon, Springtown; Sebastian Colon, Longview; Brandon Eley, Waxahachie; Drew Gaddis, Tyler; Jagger Hudman, Kilgore; Emily James, Palestine; Emileigh Jones, San Angelo; Shelton Chase Jones, Terrell; Richard Kelp-Torres, Paris; Marcos Loya, Longview; Nathaniel Murray, Van; Anthony Orduna, Tyler; Aracely Perez-Gonzalez, Center; Liam Ricketts, Tyler; Zamaria Robbins-Lewis, Marshall; Taylor See, Gladewater; Paulo Tovar, Longview; Caitlynn Vanzandt, Henderson; and Drake Williams, Kilgore.
Clinic schedule
The festival will include music clinics and performances by jazz bands from area schools. Each group will perform for about 20 minutes on the Wise Auditorium stage, and then Hahn will join them and offer advice on their performance.
Tyler musician and educator George Faber will also serve as a clinician with the student groups and will be featured during the evening concerts.
The public is invited to attend the daytime clinics and performances. Admission is free.
Thursday, Feb. 29
10 a.m. — UT Tyler Jazz 2
11 a.m. — Commerce High School
1 p.m. — UT Tyler Jazz 1
2 p.m. — Palestine High School
3 p.m. — McKinney-Boyd Middle School
4 p.m. — Swoop Jazz Collective
Friday, March 1
9 a.m. — Alex Hahn improvisation master class
10 a.m. — Three Lakes Middle School
11 a.m. — Boulter Middle School
1 p.m. — Tyler Legacy High School
1 p.m. — Brownsboro High School
3 p.m. — Kaufman High School
4 p.m. — LeTourneau University
For more information on TJC bands, go to TJC.edu/band.