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The 2008 edition of the Penn State Jazz Festival got under way Friday afternoon (April 4) with master classes given by the festival clinicians. Pianist Steve Rudolph and bassist Tom Baldwin led a class focusing on the rhythm section.
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Saxophonist Walt Weiskopf led the other master class. Both classes were well attended by both high school and college jazz musicians.
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After the master classes, the jazz festival clinicians joined Penn State Centre Dimensions Jazz Band, led by Dan Yoder, left, for an open rehearsal.
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Friday night of the Penn State Jazz Festival ended with an All-Star Combo Concert, featuring Steve Rudolph (piano), Walt Weiskopf (saxophone), Tom Baldwin (bass) and Ronnie Burrage (drumset).
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Penns Valley Area High School senior Kate Burlingame won an award for her vocal performance during the adjudicated portion of the jazz festival. Mount Nittany Middle School opened up the program, followed by high school jazz bands from Hollidaysburg, Penns Valley and State College, as well as the Seton Hill University Jazz Band, and Penn State's Inner and Outer Dimensions Jazz Bands.
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Clinician Tom Baldwin, left, offers his comments to State College Area High School Jazz Band II Director John Kovalchik, right, and members of the band. Each band received immediate feedback from one of the three clinicians after playing, plus written comments from all three clinicians.
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The State College Area High School Jazz Band performed an unpublished Rick Hirsch arrangement of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody.
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The Seton Hill Jazz Band closed out the adjudicated portion of the jazz festival, which started with a middle-school jazz band and included several area high school jazz bands.
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After the adjudicated bands completed their performances, Penn State's Outer Dimensions (pictured here) and Inner Dimensions played for the audience.
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After all of the adjudicated bands performed, pianist Steve Rudolph, saxophonist Walt Weiskopf, bassist Tom Baldwin and drummer Ronnie Burrage held a master class where they played some music and answered a variety of questions from the audience.
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Jim McFalls, who served as a clinician at last year's Penn State Jazz Festival, brought his Towson University Jazz Band to Penn State this year. The band performed before Penn State Centre Dimensions at the close of the festival.
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Saxophonist Walt Weiskopf, left, along with fellow festival clinicians Steve Rudolph and Tom Baldwin, joined Penn State Centre Dimensions on stage to close out the Penn State Jazz Festival.
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