Vernon Jazz band to compete at Sparta festival

VERNON — The music department of Sparta High School will hosting the third annual Jazz Festival on April 12 at 5 p.m.
Several regional jazz bands will be participating including Vernon High School Jazz Band, as well as ensembles from the municipalities of Sparta, Jefferson, Newton, Vernon, West Milford, West Orange, Scotch Plains and from the Kittatinny and High Point regional high schools.
The festival will take place in the thousand-seat auditorium of Sparta High School, where the township’s jazz bands will host ensembles from a number of regional school districts. A variety of food will be for sale at an extensive concession stand in the school’s main lobby, as will Sparta Jazz Fest T-Shirts.
Bands will perform in either the Middle School, Competitive, or Highly Competitive division. This year’s pro adjudicators are Montclair State University’s Bill Moring, Oscar Perez, and Mike Lee, and former Sparta Jazz Band director Chris Arnold, all of whom have put their own stamp on jazz in New Jersey and well beyond.
The cost will be $10 for adults, $ for seniors and $5 for studnets. Children under 5 will be admitted free.