For the 13th consecutive year, the Charles H. Templeton Ragtime and Jazz Festival is bringing the spirit and sounds of the late 19th and early 20th centuries to Mississippi State University’s Mitchell Memorial Library March 28-30.
The 2019 festival kicks off at 6 p.m. March 28 in the library’s main lobby with the sixth annual Gatsby Gala. The fashion show features 1920s apparel designed by MSU School of Human Sciences fashion design and merchandising students and modeled by MSU Fashion Board members. Internationally renowned pianist and six-year festival artistic director Jeff Barnhart of Mystic, Connecticut, will provide music.
Gala admission is free, and attendees are encouraged to wear their best 1920s-inspired outfits.
Daytime museum tours, informative talks, “meet the artists” segments and educational seminars will take place March 29 and 30 in the Charles H. Templeton Sr. Music Museum at Mitchell Memorial Library, located at the southeast corner of the university’s historic Drill Field.
World-renowned musicians will perform ragtime, early jazz, blues, swing, and early rock and roll during 7:30 p.m. concerts March 29 and 30 in the mainstage theater at McComas Hall.
MSU Associate Dean of Libraries Stephen Cunetto said the Classic Jazz Trio, featuring Dave Bennett on clarinet, Barnhart on piano and Hal Smith on drums, will wow audiences with a swinging tribute to such musicians as the “King of Swing” Benny Goodman. Bennett also will perform some early rock ‘n’ roll blues piano a la Mississippi native Jerry Lee Lewis and others, accompanied by Smith on the drums.
“Of course, there will again be plenty of opportunity for our pianists to ‘go at it’ with two-piano, four-hand showstoppers,” Cunetto said. “Ragtime and early jazz will share this year’s stage with blues, swing and early rock ‘n’ roll to provide something for everyone!”
During Friday’s concert, MSU Libraries will present MSU senior music education/instrumental major Quinlan X. Gray of De Kalb, Texas, with the Keyone Docher Student Achievement Award. The award honors the passion and talent of Docher, a Weir native and former MSU junior music education/piano major who died in 2014 following a 13-year battle with cancer.
Tickets
Admission to all festival events is free for MSU students with valid student I.D. General admission tickets good for all festival events are available for $65 each. Patrons can purchase a “Friday Only Ticket” for $35, which is good for all Friday events including the evening concert.
A “Saturday Only Ticket” option also is available for Saturday’s events and concert. Tickets just for the Friday and Saturday concerts can be purchased for $15 each. Discounted fees are available for senior citizens and retired MSU faculty and staff members.
Tickets are available for advance purchase online and also will be sold at the door. For additional information and to register online, visit festival.library.msstate.edu.
Parking is available at the Old Main Academic Center parking garage on Barr Avenue. Patrons also can use MSU’s S.M.A.R.T. shuttle system for transportation to and from the festival. For more information about parking, visit parkingservices.msstate.edu.
About performers
In addition to Barnhart, performers include:
In addition to MSU Libraries and the School of Human Sciences, this year’s sponsors include MaxxSouth Broadband, City of Starkville, Mississippi Arts Commission, Art Works and National Endowment for the Arts.
For more festival information, visit festival.library.msstate.edu, call 662-325-6634 or email [email protected].
IF YOU GO:
WHO: Mississippi State University
WHAT: Charles H. Templeton Ragtime and Jazz Festival, Gatsby Gala
WHEN: Thursday through Saturday, March 28-30
WHERE: MSU Mitchell Memorial Library and McComas Hall
TICKETS: festival.library.msstate.edu, call 662-325-6634
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