Southeastern to host Bill Evans Jazz Festival
Monday, March 26, 2018 
by: Tonya Lowentritt
SAXOPHONIST FETTIG TO HIGHLIGHT BILL EVANS JAZZ FESTIVAL -
Premier jazz saxophonist Mary Fettig will be a featured performer at Southeastern
Louisiana University’s annual Bill Evans Jazz Festival to be held on Southeastern’s
campus April 11-14. Information is available by calling 985-549-2184.
HAMMOND – In honor of one of its most distinguished alumni, the Southeastern
Louisiana University Department of Fine and Performing Arts will present the annual
Bill Evans Jazz Festival April 11-14.
The festival will feature free performances by the University Jazz Combo and
University Jazz Ensemble, masterclasses and additional ticketed performances, as well
as an exhibit on Bill Evans. Artifacts of Evans’ will be on display in the Southeastern
Contemporary Art Gallery throughout the duration of the festival. Photographs, album
covers and letters written by Evans will be exhibited to showcase the jazz legends’
achievements and his history with Southeastern.
This year, the festival will feature guest artist Mary Fettig. Regarded as one
of the premier jazz saxophonists and woodwind doublers in the country, Fettig joined
the Stan Kenton Orchestra at the age of 20 as the first and only female instrumentalist
in the history of the orchestra.
“In addition to touring and recording with Stan Kenton, Mary Fettig has toured
with Flora Purim and Airto, Marian McPartland, Tito Puente, Toninho Horta and Joe
Henderson,” said Michael Bothers, co-director for the Southeastern Jazz Ensemble and
one of the festival’s coordinators. “She has appeared at many of the world’s major
jazz festivals, including Monterey, Playboy, Hollywood Bowl, Chicago, Detroit, Montreux,
Borneo and North Sea. She also has extensive studio credits in film, television, video
games and radio and regularly performs with the San Francisco Symphony.”
The festival will also include the Louisiana Association for Jazz Education (LAJE)
State Music Festival, a competition with performances by area middle and high school
jazz ensembles. The festival will start Friday morning at 9 a.m. and conclude Saturday
at 12:45 p.m. in Pottle Music Building Auditorium.
The performance schedule includes the following:
• April 11, 7:30 p.m., Pottle Recital Hall, Alumni Jazz Ensemble Concert, advance
tickets $5 students and $10 adults, tickets at the door are $10 students and $15 adults,
current Southeastern students and faculty are admitted free with university ID
• April 12, 7:30 p.m., Pottle Recital Hall, University Jazz Combo, free concert
• April 13, 1 p.m., Pottle Recital Hall, free masterclass with Fettig and at
7:30 p.m., Pottle Recital Hall, Jazz Faculty Trio Concert with guest artist Fettig,
advance tickets $5 for students and $10 for adults, tickets at the door are $10 for
students and $15 for adults, current Southeastern students and faculty are admitted
free with university ID;
• April 14, 2:30 p.m., Pottle Recital Hall, University Jazz Ensemble in concert
with Fettig, free concert.
For additional information, call the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at
985-549-2184.
