By Annabeth Miller
ShowMe Times Editor

Jazz is America’s music. Its birthplace may be New Orleans, but its soul is American.

Jazz legend Louis Armstrong said, "Jazz is music that's never played the same way once." Duke Ellington once said that "music itself is a category of sound, but everything that goes into the ear is not music." Jazz is the art of expression set to music; it is the fundamental rhythms of human life.

There is a group of Dexter students who have those definitions down pat, and are working on their own definition of the musical form.

The Dexter High School Jazz ‘Cats – hot off a big performance at the 2011 Jazz Festival at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale – this last weekend were the “cool cats” at the Carol Moore Memorial Jazz Contest at Mineral Area College in Park Hills.

The Dexter ensemble won its class and received the highest score awarded for the daylong festival. The DHS Jazz ‘Cats competed with four other schools in Class 4 Division – Seckman (Fox School District), DeSoto, Farmington and North St. Francois County.

“We received a score of 93 – and the closest score of the day was 88, received by North County,” Scott Rybolt, director of the jazz band, said.

Rybolt also reported the three DHS students received Outstanding Musician awards. Brandon Moore, Steven Harrellson and Joseph Greer all received recognition for their musicianship and performance, Rybolt said.

The Jazz Festival celebrated its 25th year at MAC. Four regional jazz greats participated as guest artists – Jim Widner (bass), Kim Park (alto sax and flute), Brett Stamps (trombone), and Mike Shannon (tenor sax). In addition the festival featured three renowned adjudicators – Dr. Bob Conger of Southeast Missouri State University, Tim AuBuchon of Truman State University, and Jay Contrio, a graduate of Berklee/UNT.

Other area schools participating in the jazz festival include Poplar Bluff junior and senior high, Hillsboro, Bunker, Herculaneum, Farmington Jazz Lab, Crystal City and Charleston.

“The kids played really well – it was a good day and fun,” Rybolt said.

Photo Above:


The DHS Jazz ‘Cats shined at the 25th Annual Carol Moore Memorial Jazz Festival at Mineral Area College on Saturday. Band members include (front row, from left) Rhythm section members Owen Flowers, Joe Greer, Sam Long and John Durham; (second row, from left) saxophonists Steven Harrellson, Blake Kimbrough, Shelby Lintz, Brandon Moore, Tyler Jones and Lauren Dudley; (third row, from left) trombonists Luke Dachs, Alex Rybolt, Kendra Stevenson, and Chuy Lara and rhythm players Brandon Propst and Chandler Crowley; (back row, from left) rhythm player Nathan Elliott and trumpeters Alex Allstun, Hannah Huls, Chris Littleton, Robbie Sandage, John Reeves and Beth Crone.