Jazz music echoed off the walls of Shryock Auditorium this weekend as junior high and high school bands from around the state competed against each other at the SIU Jazz Festival.

On Saturday, SIU hosted its sixth annual jazz festival for students. Overall, 15 junior high and high school jazz bands and almost 325 students competed in a day filled with performance and education.

Director of jazz studies and assistant professor of saxophone, Richard Kelley coordinated the event. He said this year’s festival raised the bar in regards to performances.

“It was the highest level of playing we have had in six years,” he said. “The bands were great. Looking back at the judges’ comments and our observation, everyone was bunched up at the top, so it was hard to choose a winner.”

The Marion Junior High School jazz band took home first place in the junior high category while the Jackson High School jazz band took home first in the high school division.

Awards were also given out for certain sections of the bands. The DeSoto High School Jazz Ensemble received an award for the best rhythm section. The Rickover Naval Academy took home awards for the best saxophone and trombone sections, and Jackson High School was awarded for having the best trumpet section.

Throughout the day, each band performed music in front of a panel of judges. The judges ranked the bands on a five-point scale, five being a superior performance and one being a poor performance.

The judges made the ratings based on three categories: the overall ensemble, the rhythm section by itself, which consists of bass, piano, percussion and guitar and solo performances.

Bands played from 9:00 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. At noon, the NewArts Jazztet performed four songs. The NAJ is comprised of all school of music faculty members and is regarded as one of southern Illinois’ premier jazz groups.

The night ended with a five-song performance by the SIU Studio Jazz Orchestra featuring special guest drummer C.E. Askew.

Askew, a 25-year Air Force veteran, has more than 21 years of experience as the drummer for “Airmen of Note,” one of the world’s most highly regarded military jazz ensembles.

As a member of “Airmen of Note,” Askew traveled the world as a musician and performed with famous entertainers such as Tony Bennett, Herbie Hancock and Chaka Khan.

Kelley, who plays saxophone for the NAJ, said performing with Askew was a great experience.

“When I can play and not have to count, the drummer is doing a great job,” he said. “My band wasn’t counting, they were just playing and that’s great because you can only give credit to the drummer when that happens. His timing and the way he commanded the ensemble was masterful. It was a ton of fun.”

In addition to the competition, students received a 25-minute clinic with a member of the university’s jazz faculty and a 45-minute clinic with Askew. Askew, as well as faculty and graduate assistants from the university’s school of music, offered master classes for students during the day.

Kelley said the festival revolves around education. He said the idea of the festival is to get bands to perform as many creative solos as possible.

“The goal is always education,” he said. “It is always trying to get young musicians who may not have had a lot of exposure to jazz or have minimal exposure to jazz to continue an interest in it and become more involved.”