Jazz musician Kirk Garrison isn’t a Cleveland native, but, as he is from small-town Southern Minnesota—Truman to be precise—and is married to CHS graduate Tracy Koppelman, he’s the next best thing.
A veteran of the Chicago jazz scene, trumpeter/arranger Garrison is big time now, and although he has appeared with many famous artists, his current claim to fame is as a member of the Lt. Dan Band featuring actor Gary Sinese (think Lt. Dan in “Forrest Gump”).
Adding to his active schedule, Garrison performed with director Erik Hermanson’s Black Folder Jazz as well as the St. Peter High School Jazz Band on the St Peter High School stage on Monday.
With “Get it On,” Black Folder Jazz, which is made up of sophomores with two freshmen and a seventh grader sprinkled in for good measure, opened the show. Next up, Garrison accompanied the band on a tune he arranged, “Nature Boy.” After that, Black Folder Jazz performed Laura Branigan’s “Gloria” and “I Sing the Body Electric” from the 1980 movie “Fame” before, with Garrison back on stage, closing with the blues tune “Cousin Mary,” which featured break out improv solos.
Directed by Dave Haugh, the St. Peter jazz band followed with Garrison accompanying three of the five selections.
It was not the first time a CHS band was on stage with Garrison. He was the guest trumpeter at the combined Cleveland-St. Peter jazz concert in the Cleveland auditorium back in 2014.
Sometimes with St. Peter, other times with Tri-City United or Le Sueur-Henderson, Hermanson and company have been performing combined jazz concerts on and off for almost two decades. Their last time on the St. Peter High School stage with St Peter’s jazz band was back in 2018.
Former guest artists have been Kevin Johnson (CHS 2005), Steve Wright, Adrian Barnett, Dean Sorenson, David Schmalenburger, Doug Snapp, Allen Vizzutti, Eric Zimmerman, Michael Nelson and Hermanson himself.
More about Black Folder Jazz
Black Folder Jazz includes Owen Lloyd, August Keltgen (a freshman), Austin Anderley and Zander Linder on trumpets; CC Gair and Aubrey Blaschko on alto saxophones; Kayla Hoffmann and Cassidy Otto on flutes; Jackson Wille, Luke Heldberg and Elijah Johnson (a seventh grader) on trombones; Gavin Marks and Garrett Heldberg on tenor saxophones; Kiya Sohn on the clarinet; Ethan Hoehn and Aiden Giese on baritone saxophones; Zander Hoechst on bass guitar; Clara Hilfer (a freshman) on acoustic guitar; and Ben Traxler and Jakob Hollerich on percussion.
Black Folder Jazz earned a superior rating at the state contest at GAC earlier in the month as did the four other CHS jazz bands that competed.
More about Kirk Garrison
Garrison attended college at MSU-Mankato before serving in the United States Air Force Band. After leaving the Air Force in 1992, he completed his masters degree in Jazz Studies at DePaul University. For the next 25 years, he served as an adjunct faculty member at several universities in the Chicago area before recently accepting a position as Director of Jazz Studies at Elmhurst University in Elmhurst, Illinois.
He is in high demand as a performer, composer, teacher and arranger and has received commissions from DePaul University, the Chicago String Ensemble, and the Millar Brass Ensemble at Northwestern University, and for internationally renowned jazz artists saxophonist Phil Woods and drummer Jeff Hamilton.
Garrison has appeared with Louie Bellson, Tony Bennett, Kenny Burrell, Dave Brubeck, Ron Carter, Bill Champlin, Brett Eldridge, Peter Erskine, Lady Gaga, Jon Faddis, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Hamlisch, Herbie Hancock, Bob Hope, Kevin Mahogany, Tom “Bones” Malone, Frank Mantooth, “Blue Lou” Marini, Johnny Mathis, Rita Moreno, Don Rickles, Dianne Schuur, Danny Seraphine, Ed Shaughnessy, Frank Sinatra, Jr., Clark Terry, Frank Wess, Joe Williams, Nancy Wilson and Phil Woods. Other performance credits include the International Music Festival in Hue, Vietnam, the Ravinia Music Festival, the Chicago Blues Festival, Chicago Jazz Festival and numerous other venues throughout the country.
Garrison also performs as a guest soloist and clinician/adjudicator at middle schools, high schools and colleges throughout the country.
Above: Kirk Garrison accompanies Black Folder Jazz.
Trumpeters Austin Anderley, Owen Lloyd, August Keltgen and Zander Linder.
Kirk Garrison accompanies Black Folder Jazz.
Black Folder Jazz
Zander Hoechst and Clara Hilfer on guitar
August Keltgen, Gavin Marks, Owen Lloyd and Kayla Hoffmann each took turns in break-out solos during the last number.
Kirk Garrison and Erik Hermanson
Kirk Garrison poses with Black Folder Jazz; from L-R: Erik Hermanson, Clara Hilfer, Kirk Garrison, Kayla Hoffmann, CC Gair, Cassidy Otto, Gavin Marks, Austin Anderley, Kiya Sohn, August Keltgen, Jackson Wille, Aubrey Blaschko, Elijah Johnson, Garrett Heldberg, Owen Lloyd, Zander Hoechst, Luke Heldberg, Zander Linder, Aiden Giese, Ethan Hoehn, Ben Traxler and Jakob Hollerich.
Video: Kirk Garrison worked in a slice of the school song during the last number.
Video: Seventh grader Elijah Johnson teams up with Kirk Garrison.