It’s time to get jazzed with NMSU’s annual Jazz Jumpstart, which takes place all day on Friday, Nov. 10 in the NMSU music building. Jacob Dalager, who directs the jazz program in the Music Department, spoke with Intermezzo host Leora Zeitlin about the 54th annual Jumpstart, which features two greats from New York: bassist Ben Allison and guitarist Steve Cardenas. The two will lead clinics and workshops throughout the day, and join NMSU faculty and students for a free concert at 7:30 p.m. at the Atkinson Recital Hall.
“They’re really a dynamic duo,” said Dalager in this interview recorded on Zoom. “We’ve had multiple guest artists before but this year’s really special because they work together all the time. They’re on most of each other’s records, they’ve recorded together hundreds of times, they perform together live all the time, so there’s going to be a really unique synergy, and we’re going to learn all about their collaborative process, their creative process together, throughout the day.”
Listen to the interview for more information about the artists, the clinics, and an improvisation workshop, and look here or a full schedule of the day’s events and to register. The concert is free at 7:30 p.m. at the Atkinson Recital Hall, and features Allison and Cardenas performing together, as well as with the NMSU faculty jazz combo, and the NMSU Jazz Ensemble, which will perform all arrangements of Allison's and Cardenas' music. “It’s really unique music that I think will appeal to everybody,” Dalager said.
