Winterlude Jazz Festival: Blueprints of Jazz

Every jazz artist builds on something—chords, forms, structures, or traditions. But what happens when you "redraw" the lines? When you take the foundational blueprints of jazz, reshape them and reinterpret them, and create personal expression through form? You have “Blueprints of Jazz,” a weekend celebrating the best in jazz. Featuring Trent Austin Quartet, Sons of Brasil, Eclipse Trio, and culminating with Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra.

Schedule

Saturday, March 7

• 2 p.m. - Guest lecture by photographer Dan White
• 3 p.m. - Middle/High School competition winner *The winning band will be announced in late January*
• 4 p.m. - Gerald Spaits Quintet
• 5 p.m. - Chris Hazelton Quartet
• 7 p.m. - Trent Austin Quartet

Sunday, March 8

• 2 p.m. - Guest lecture by author Carolyn Brewer
• 3 p.m. - Sons of Brasil
• 4 p.m. - JCCC Jazz Band, directed by Ryan Heinlein
• 5 p.m. - Eclipse Trio
• Headliner: 7 p.m. - Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

Bios

Dan White is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer with a photojournalistic perspective that permeates his commercial, editorial, and artistic images. White sees the world—not only through the lens of his experienced camera—but with the heightened awareness of one who travels internationally to better understand himself through others’ faces and places. Born and raised in Flint, Michigan, White began shooting pictures at age 11 and started his first newspaper job when he divided time between high school studies and full-time work at The Flint Journal. He spent summers interning at The Everett Herald in Washington, and The Muskegon Chronicle in Michigan. White received his Bachelor of Journalism degree, with an emphasis on photojournalism, from the University of Missouri. After college, he worked for The Yakima Herald-Republic in the state of Washington and The Columbia Daily Tribune in Missouri. While working at The Kansas City Star, he was part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning team that won for its coverage of the Hyatt Hotel skywalk collapse. Currently, he continues his 30-year career as a commercial and fine art photographer based in Kansas City. He was recently inducted into the Missouri Photojournalism Hall of Fame. Portraiture has always been White’s most interesting and challenging assignment. From the aboriginal people of the Northern Territories in Australia, the jazz musicians of Kansas City, and cowboys of western Kansas, to honoring people in his hometown, he photographs with respect for and an ability to make people comfortable in front of the camera. His talent for composition and eye for lighting has produced memorable images for his clients.

Gerald Spaits
Bio forthcoming

Chris Hazelton is one of today’s foremost Hammond B-3 organists, known for his soulful groove, impeccable touch, and deep command of the soul-jazz tradition. A lifelong Kansas Citian, Hazelton studied under two giants of the instrument: local legend Everette DeVan and the iconic Dr. Lonnie Smith. Their influence continues to shape his approach, blending gospel, hard bop, and funk into a sound both rooted and forward-looking. Hazelton performs widely with his own organ groups and is a featured member of acclaimed soul collective, The Freedom Affair, as well as British rhythm & blues outfit The James Hunter Six. Whether laying down gritty grooves or swinging with finesse, Hazelton brings an unmistakable voice on the B-3 to every project he touches. In the classroom, Hazelton serves as the applied organ instructor at his alma mater, Kansas City Kansas Community College, where he teaches on DeVan’s personal Hammond B-3 organ—passing on the lineage of the instrument with reverence and authenticity. He is also the music director at St. James United Methodist Church at 55th and Paseo, where his playing continues to inspire and uplift each week. Hazelton’s discography includes both funk-driven ensemble work and straight-ahead jazz, showcasing his range as a performer, bandleader, and composer. His projects have earned critical praise around the globe for their energy, precision, and unmistakable groove. Offstage, Hazelton is a devoted husband and father. He lives in Kansas City with his wife, Erica, and their two children, Evelyn and Jaxon.

Trent Austin is a celebrated trumpet artist, educator, clinician, entrepreneur and trumpeting Renaissance man. His brilliant performances and recordings in both the jazz and classical music worlds, as well as packed-house master classes, have garnered him rave reviews, awards, and international acclaim. As a prodigy, in high school, Austin performed at the opening of Euro Disney (now Disneyland Park) and was a featured performer at the 1992 Montreux Jazz Festival. He was selected as the first trumpet of the Maine All-State Music Festival and was awarded a full music scholarship to the University of New Hampshire to study classical trumpet. Austin’s other early career awards include being named to the prestigious Berklee Grammy® High School Jazz Band in 1993 and designated lead trumpet of the 1995 Disney All-American Show Band. He was also a featured soloist at the 1996 Harmony Ridge Brass Festival and at the 1997 Lake Placid Institute of the Arts Seminar. 

Carolyn Glenn Brewer is a retired music educator who still plays clarinet and bass clarinet in community groups. A social historian as well, her highly acclaimed books, “Caught in the Path,” and “Caught Ever After,” about the Ruskin Heights tornado, have been featured on radio, television, and adapted to the stage. In 2012, “Caught Ever After” was named a Thorpe Menu Literary Excellence Award finalist. Her jazz books chronicle a happier aspect of Kansas City history. Her book, “Changing the Tune, the Kansas City Women’s Jazz Festival,” brought attention to an important chapter in Kansas City Jazz history. Downbeat called it “a fitting tribute to the Kansas City Women’s Jazz Festival’s achievement and influence, as well as a valuable record on the ongoing struggle of talented female musicians to gain their rightful place in the jazz world.” Her most recent book, “Beneath Missouri Skies, Pat Metheny in Kansas City,” details the formative years of this internationally beloved guitarist. “Beneath Missouri Skies” was selected as one of the best jazz books of 2021 by the New York City Jazz Record. Brewer is currently working on a biography of Kansas City-born valve trombonist and composer Bob Brookmeyer. She lives in Kansas City with her husband, bassist, and composer, Tim Brewer.

The Sons of Brasil is a group of American musicians who fell under the magical spell of Brazilian music. They have been together for 30 years and have assembled an impressive repertoire of music from virtually every region of Brazil. The music is vital and compelling, with dynamic rhythms, soaring melodies, and lush harmony. Appeal for the music transcends age groups and musical tastes. During the band’s 32-year existence, they have performed in every major jazz venue in Kansas City, as well as all the major festivals in the area. They are possibly the only organized local group of musicians who have performed virtually every week since their inception, which speaks volumes about how their audiences feel about them. A Midwestern band playing Brazilian music is unique, but more unique is the authenticity these musicians bring to the music. Ask any Brazilian living in the area—they all feel The Sons of Brasil is their band.

JCCC Jazz Ensemble, directed by Ryan Heinlein
Under the JCCC Music department and the direction of Ryan Heinlein, the JCCC Jazz Band performs several free concerts throughout the year. Students also play at events around the metro area and participate in educational opportunities to play with professional musicians such as the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra and Hanover Big Band. They've participated in master classes with saxophonist Benny Golson, trumpeter Roger Ingram, saxophonist Jaleel Shaw, and trumpeter and composer Sean Jones. In 2023, they played at the Jazz Education Network conference in Orlando.

Dr. Ryan Heinlein is Associate Professor of Music and Chair of JCCC’s Music, Theater, and Recording Arts department at where he conducts the jazz and concert bands. He holds degrees in trombone performance from Wichita State University and the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Heinlein serves as the jazz education advisor to the Kansas Music Educators Association and is a highly sought-after adjudicator and clinician. Heinlein remains an active performer around the Midwest. His versatility has allowed him to play with groups such as the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, the Marcus Lewis Big Band, The Northland Symphony, Michael Feinstein, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, the Harry James Orchestra, the Buckinghams, the Four Tops, Making Movies, Ana Popovich, and Frankie Negron. He is a Conn-Selmer endorsing artist.

The Eclipse Trio is made up of three musicians flawlessly blending into the ultimate Kansas City jazz sound while bringing their unique touch to the stage. Together, pianist Everett Freeman, drummer Michael Warren, and bassist DeAndre Manning capture and captivate. Freeman has toured with Oleta Adams and performs with a deliciously intricate, yet fluid, grace. There are few Kansas City jazz musicians whom Warren hasn’t backed, and Manning provides a solid footing to this group of seasoned local musicians.