Musicians from all around came to be part of live jazz music in Morehead. Hosted by Morehead State University, Downtown Morehead Entertainment Initiative, and The MSU Jazz Ensemble, this year’s Battle of the Bands marked the event’s fifth gathering. During the day high school and college jazz groups showcased their interpretation of standard tunes and new charts alike in the Battson-Oates entertainment commons. Groups included jazz combos with less than 10 members and Big Bands, featuring full brass, saxophone, and rhythms sections.
Ryan McGillicuddy is the director of the MSU Jazz Ensemble and one of the organizers. He said it was originally started outside Morehead by other local jazz musicians.
“Before this event, essentially every year, Miles Osland or Gordon Towell, my predecessor, would put on this Battle of the Bands event,” said McGillicuddy. “Usually, it was done at Comedy Off Broadway in Lexington, and that was like Miles’ place. It had become defunct over the years, Miles no longer put it on there. I thought, what if we reinstated this Battle of the Bands and did it on the downtown Morehead stage?”
The Campbell County High School Jazz ensembles, under the direction of Jeff Young, started the show at noon, and despite some rain, set the mood for the high energy music to come. Following Campbell County was the University of Louisville jazz combo, the University of Kentucky jazz ensemble and combo, and the Marshall University jazz ensemble and combo.
McGillicuddy said the festival provides important opportunities for performers and the audience alike.
“Most university jazz ensembles are playing at the university, and they are not playing much outside, save for national or international events like the Jazz Education Network Conference. So, the opportunity for the community to hear all these jazz ensembles at once, free of charge, is a really culturally enriching thing,” said McGillicuddy.
While MSU’s combo played a high energy set in the middle of the event, the university’s jazz ensemble is always the closing act. McGillicuddy added, for Morehead State’s big band, the performance marks a special occasion.
“It’s our end of the year performance. I like to have it be a lot of fun for the musicians. So, we cover basically everything that we’ve done, definitely this semester, sometimes even into the previous semester. We tend to do a long set, longer than anyone else, because we close out the night,” said McGillicuddy.
Morehead State University students are involved in all aspects of the day. They work to move equipment, set up, and tear down the ensemble arrangements, and help with logistics in addition to performing. Taylor Fultz, an alto saxophonist with the MSU jazz ensemble, said the Battle of the Bands, and jazz in Morehead in general, allows him to connect with his art.
“Being both a classically trained and jazz trained saxophonist, it allows me to listen and play music that is just fun. They’re fun charts, they’re earworms,” said Fultz. “I will be singing them when I leave rehearsal all the way until I get back into rehearsal. It allows for me to step back and say ‘Okay, I am going to have fun with this.’”
One of the key aspects of jazz music is improvisation, and how making up music on the spot develops a performance. The Battle of the Bands showcases many talented soloists from across the region, each working to make a statement with the music. Fultz said this flexibility is one of the reasons he is drawn to the genre.
Fultz said, “For me, improv is one of the biggest chances for me to say ‘What am I feeling when it comes to this song?’ ‘How can I make this as energy-focused, as wild, as I can?’ ‘Where can I put in some more of my own ideas?’”
For the last five years, many people have traveled to Morehead to enjoy the music. Olivia Memering, an audience member at this year’s event, said the audience and the style of the music is what keeps her coming back.
“Live music is just really special in the way that it draws a crowd and makes you feel connected to the musicians on stage, almost like you are sharing the moment. Throughout all of my time here, going to each festival, it is interesting hearing the variety of jazz music throughout the years and how the style can change,” said Memering.
As one of Morehead’s several annual festivals, the Battle of the Bands helps bring commerce to the area. Local businesses plan around the expected influx of visitors, and local food trucks always make an appearance for the festivities. Memering said seeing people come together in this way is one of the biggest benefits.
“There is just a huge variety of different schools that show up which brings a variety of different people,” said Memering. “The event draws a big crowd to downtown Morehead, and it provides business for everyone, and you get to see how the community works together and how the town functions when the event brings in so many people.”
Ryan McGillicuddy said the Battle of the Bands is here to stay in Morehead, and he has plans for next year’s celebration. He said he hopes to involve more high school groups, to showcase the talent of young musicians. He added next year will feature guest artists with the MSU jazz ensemble. Tamir Hendelman and his jazz trio will bring their wealth of experience in the genre to the ensemble and audiences next year.