jazz

Gene Knific comes by his mixed pedigree of classical and jazz influences honestly.

The son of violinist Renata Knific ( professor, Western Michigan University) and bassist Tom Knific (professor, chair of Jazz Studies, Western Michigan University), this eclectic young composer and pianist, with his trio, were invited to perform for the Fontana Summer Festival this weekend.

NOTE: This feature was produced in 2014. Both artists were expected to return this month to headline WMU's Gold Company Vocal Jazz Invitational Festival. but it was canceled by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Summer JazzStart program is a three-day workshop put on by the new Kalamazoo Jazz and Creative Institute. The institute will host a free show Wednesday night at The Union Cabaret & Grille.

A combo of prodigiously talented young jazz musicians who met at Western Michigan University, As The Sea is noted for the close communication between the players themselves and between the players and the audience. One of the group's favorite venues is an intimate house concert, an atmosphere they reproduced in WMUK's Takeda Studio.

Jazz pianist and composer Frank Carlberg, noted for his settings of modern poetry to music, his wife, singer Christine Correa, and Western Michigan University jazz professor Andrew Rathbun joined Cara Lieurance recently for a discussion of Mr. Carlberg's music, which was featured in a WMU concert in January.