Past Guest Artists
The first jazz ensemble at UW-Eau Claire (called the "Stage Band") was started in 1962 by students John and Jim Buchholz and Larry McCaghy. The head of the Music Department, Bob Gantner, gave the students $400 to buy music for this new group. It wasn't until 1964 which the band got its first faculty director, Joe Casey, who led the group and started the first Eau Claire Jazz Festival in 1967.
Mr. Casey ran the festival for a few years until Dominic Spera got hired as the UW-Eau Claire Jazz Program Director in 1968. Mr. Spera, along with Ron Keezer, the university's percussion professor and Jazz II director, brought the jazz program and festival to new heights. The program was cited by Down Beat Magazine as "a national success story” and Mr. Spera was also awarded ‘Jazz Educator of the Year’. The festival created a high school adjudication component and brought in world-renowned musicians to perform in the evening concert.
In 1977, Mr. Spera left to teach at Indiana University, but the festival and jazz studies program was driven by the vision of Mr. Keezer. He helped pass the tradition to festival director's Jim Olcott and Henry Mautner before Robert Baca took the reigns of the program and festival in 1987. Since then, the festival has continued to grow with Mr. Baca and Mr. Keezer's vision by adding additional components like masterclasses and non-competitive elements for middle, high, and college bands. In 2013, "52nd Street" was created (renamed "Jazz Crawl" in 2020) which transforms downtown Eau Claire into a 1950s New York jazz scene with 40+ bands playing in numerous venues on Barstow St. throughout the Friday of the festival.
Festival Director: Joe Casey
1967- Ken Bartosh
1968- Bud Brisbois, Father Wiskirken, Jim Coffin & Mel Nussbaum
Festival Director: Dominic Spera
1969- John LaPorta
1970- Clark Terry
1971- Phil Wilson & Alan Dawson
1972- David Baker, Oliver Nelson & Charles Suber
1973- Dave Pavolka, Al Cobine, Rufus Reid & Dan Haerle
1974- Gary Burton & Rich Matteson
1975- Bud Brisbois & Lou Marini, Jr.
1976- Roger Pemberton & Ed Soph
1977- Jamie Aebersold, David Baker, Charles Suber & Ray Wright
Festival Director: Jim Olcott
1978- Buddy DeFranco & Dick Shearer
Festival Director: Henry Mautner
1979- Dick Hyman & Eddie Daniels
1980- Mundell Lowe & Bill Berry
1981- Bob Wilber & Jim Pugh
1982- Joe Wilder & Dave Samuels
1983- Nick Ceroli & Plas Johnson
1984- Snooky Young & Mike Moore
1985- Ernie Watts & Ashley Alexander
1986- Bill Berry & Dave Frishberg
Festival Director: Robert Baca
1987- 20th Anniversary Celebration:
Dominic Spera, Rufus Reid, Bill Sears, Dave Pavolka John Radd & The Alumni Big Band
1988- Bill Pierce, James Williams & Rob McConnell
1989- Al Vizzutti & John Von Ohlen
1990- Matt Harris, Bill Evans & Brian Torff
1991- Jiggs Whigham, Red Rodney, Donald Harrison, Matt Harris & The Airmen of Note
1992- Conte Condoli, Ed Soph, Bob Davis, Al Cobine, Dominic Spera, Matt Harris & The Army Blues Ensemble
1993- Ira Sullivan, Matt Harris, Ted Pease, Larry Wiseman & The Air Force Falconaires
1994- David Baker, Rufus Reid, Tana/Reid Quintet (Akira Tana, Rob Schneiderman, Craig Bailey, Dan Faulk), Diana Spradling & Frank Mantooth
1995- Sammy Nestico & Geoffrey Keezer
1996- Carl Fontana, Charlie Byrd, Dominic Spera & The Airmen of Note
1997- 30th Anniversary Celebration:
Michael Brecker, Byron Stripling, Dominic Spera, & The Noteables Air Combat Command Heartland of America Band, 35th Reunion of 1962 UWEC Jazz Band
1998- Harold Mabern & Peter Erksine
1999- Slide Hampton, Ed Calle & The Air Force Heartland of America Jazz Ensemble
2000- Jon Faddis & Bill Reichenbach
2001- Ingrid Jensen, Lewis Nash & The Air Force Shades of Blue Jazz Ensemble
2002- The Dave Holland Quintet, Chris Botti, Christian McBride
2003- Wycliffe Gordon, Sam Pillifan & JAZZAX Saxophone Quartet
2004- David Berkman Quartet
2005- Byron Stripling, Maria Schneider, Jerry Bergonzi & The Noteables
2006- Lewis Nash, Brian Grivna, Nachito Herrera & Michael B. Nelson
2007- Kevin Mahogany, Stanley Jordan & Benny Green
2008- Nnenna Freelon, Benny Golson, Dave Weckl & Chris Brubeck
2009- Chris Potter, Jiggs Whigham & Kevin Washington
2010- Nicholas Payton & Kenni Holman
2011- Eric Marienthal & Bobby Sanabria
2012- Andy Martin & John Pattitucci
2013- Claudio Roditi, Geoffrey Keezer & author Michael Perry
2014- Wycliffe Gordon & Byron Stripling
2015- New York Voices, Terell Stafford & Nachito Herrera
2016- 50th Anniversary Celebration:
Jimmy Heath and Stefon Harris
2017- Doc Severinsen & Carl Allen
2018- Bob Mintzer & Bobby Sanabria
2019- Grace Kelly & New York Voices
Thursday Night- Chris Botti Group
2020- Cancelled due to COVID-19
2021- Sue Orfield, Sean Carey, Jeremy Boettcher, Josh Gallagher
2022- Diane Schuur & Donny McCaslin
