St. George Jazz Festival to Feature Prolific Trumpet Player in November

The St. George Jazz Festival will hold a special event on November 3 featuring guest artist John Daversa, a prolific trumpet player who has worked with the festival before.

The event will have two sections, a special clinic with Daversa regarding his philosophy in music, and a concert featuring Daversa and his accompanying piano player Tal Cohen.

The clinic will be free to anyone who wishes to learn about jazz from one of the best according to managing director Robert Schmidt.

Schmidt said, “They get up and they give their philosophy of how to improvise, or how to play the instrument, it depends on the topic.”

The clinic will be free to attend at Crimson Cliffs Middle School on November 3 at 3:30 p.m.

As for the concert, Schmidt says Daversa has a rather unique way of writing and performing music.

Schimdt said, “Most music is in 4/4 time or 3/4 time, very simple time signatures. His music is quite complex where most of his music is not in 4/4 time and it’s mixed meters throughout. It’s written in such a way that there’s a groove that’s happening.”

Schmidt said that it may sound simple when he’s playing it, but that’s just a testament to Daversa’s skill because the written music is tough to play.

Schmidt said, “He is masterful at making it sound easy when you listen to it, but the written is pretty challenging, and he really mixes it up on how music is written and how he purposely seeks out different ways for music to feel in the rhythms. That’s the best way I can explain it.”

While Daversa is a talented trumpet player, he’s also known for playing a different instrument as well.

Schimdt said, “He also plays an instrument called the E.V.I, Electronic Valve Instrument. It’s a MIDI electronic instrument that he uses trumpet fingerings on with some slight alterations, but he can play high and low and use all kinds of different sounds with it.”

Patrons can attend the concert for $14 per person in the Eccles Concert Hall at Utah Tech University on November 3 at 7:30 p.m.