MITCHELL — The Mitchell High School Jazz bands continued their spring with a strong showing at the 41st Annual Northeast Jazz Festival in Norfolk, Neb., over the weekend. The Jazz 1 ensemble placed first in its class, with Jazz 2 placing fourth. Both received superior ratings from the contest judges.
“Both groups did an amazing job and really impressed a lot of people,” Band Director Ryan Stahle said. “I couldn’t be more proud of these amazing young adults and amazing musicians.”
The victory builds on what has already been a successful spring for the jazz bands. In each of the last two competitions, Jazz 1 has taken top honors, while Jazz 2 scored the highest marks for any second ensemble that performed.
Individuals from the band also took home awards for their performance. Trombonist Drex Martinek was recognized as the top soloist at the festival. Mason Buenzow and Max Hart also received outstanding soloist awards.
Stahle pointed out that this year’s bands include a number of new faces from last spring’s award-winning ensemble.
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“What many people may not understand about Jazz 1 is we graduated 12 of the 18 members last year,” he said. “The success this year is a testament to our students’ hard work, commitment and passion to keep the success going.”
Both bands will compete in the SDSU Jazz Festival in Brookings on April 13. They are also slated to perform May 2 at the annual Palace City Jam in Mitchell.
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