By Harold
There’s two big festivals coming to UNC this weekend — the Carolina Jazz Festival and the Comedy Fest.
The jazz festival features famous (i.e. I’ve heard of him) trumpeter Terence Blanchard (left), Jason Marsalis (the youngest of the Marsalis brothers, which include former Tonight Show bandleader Branford and 1998 BCC graduation speaker Wynton), and saxophonist Ivan Renta.
Marsalis and Renta are playing tonight with the North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra, tomorrow with the UNC jazz band and Saturday with the latin jazz group Charanga Carolina. There’s also a masterclass, an open rehearsal, late night sessions at the West End Wine Bar and jazz combos, where UNC students form their own groups. The keystone event is the Blanchard concert tomorrow night at Memorial Hall. I already saw Marsalis and Renta play at the faculty jazz jam yesterday, and I’m looking forward to listening to at least 12 more hours of live jazz over the next three days.
That would have been more if not for the comedy festival, which features Daily Show contributors Lewis Black (right), John Oliver and Wyatt Cenac and executive producer Rory Albanese. It starts tomorrow afternoon with a Q and A session with Black, and then a look at minorities in comedy (I wonder if Jews count?). Saturday afternoon Black and Albanese discuss writing and publishing for comedy, and then there’s a Daily Show panel Q and A. Each night there’s also a Comedy Jam at the George Watts Hill Alumni Center, with students providing the opening act.
A stellar job by UNC bringing two of my favorite interests to campus in festival form. Now next year how about not having them at the same time?
Laura
Harold
