• Auwarter is a much sought-after drummer who teaches as an adjunct at JCCC, the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Missouri Western State University. He is a source for information on Cuban and Brazilian music and is the author of Essential Latin Styles for the Drumset. In Kansas City, he performs with the Sons of Brasil as well as local jazz notables including Angela Hagenbach, Joe Cartwright and Ida McBeth.
• Wilcken completed his bachelor of music degree at Iowa State University and master of music degree in choral conducting under Simon Carrington at the University of Kansas. As well as an adjunct at JCCC, he is director of music at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Lawrence, and accompanies the Kansas City Fine Arts Chorale and Lawrence Civic Choir.
• Ashlock is a musician/arranger/composer based in the Kansas City area. He received a bachelor of music degree in trumpet performance at Fort Hays State University,
  master of arts degree in jazz studies and master of music degree in music composition at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He has performed on stage with the likes of Watson, Clark Terry, the Temptations and Aretha Franklin. He has arranged several songs for recording sessions, recently Gary Cardile’s Better Late Than Never on Trialog Records. He can also be heard daily on KCUR 89.3’s Up To Date.
• Stinson played on Broadway 18 years before becoming JCCC’s professor of instrumental music. He directs three JCCC music ensembles and performs with the  Fountain City Brass Band, an ensemble comprised of professional and college musicians who perform in traditional English brass band style.
• Spaits is one of the foremost jazz bass players in the Kansas City area and a composer and arranger. He is currently on the faculty at UMKC as the instructor for jazz bass under Bobby Watson and an adjunct at JCCC. Spaits has enjoyed an active career with local jazz artists including Kim Park, Russ Long, Gary Sivils, Eldar Djangirov and Tommy Ruskin. He has also performed with Kansas City jazz legends Jay McShann, Karrin Allyson and Claude Williams, and national recording artists Herb Ellis, Marilyn Maye, Gary Foster and The Woody Herman Orchestra. Spaits can be heard on jazz recordings with local and national artists such as Allyson, McShann and Lisa Henry and recently produced Russ Long’s CD Time to Go.

The spring Jazz Series continues at noon in the Recital Hall on the following dates.

• March 11    John Brewer Trio
• March 18    Greg Meise Trio
• March 25    Michael Pagan, piano
• April 1    Kerry Strayer/Stan Kessler Group

JCCC Jazz Series features Kansas City jazz artists. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. The 50-minute  concerts are cosponsored by the JCCC humanities and music departments, Community Services and the Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Arts. 

For more information, call 913-469-8500, ext. 3605.