Jazz Festival, need I say more?

Jazz is to music what words are to literature -essential.

Without jazz the musical landscape of today, from blues to rock, would look very different.

Jazz is perhaps one of the purest forms of music left today. Untouched by sponsors, groupies and boatloads of money, jazz remains spontaneous and soulful.

In college I had a roommate who played the piano and majored in music. He would often get me into Dazzle, a tremendous jazz club in Denver, where I would soak up the local jazz scene. It was there I discovered how amazing live spontaneous jazz can be.

Perhaps the only thing better than jazz is an entire festival of jazz.

So when I found that the 38th annual <a href=http://www.arts.unco.edu/uncjazz/festival/default.html>;University of Northern Colorado/Greeley Jazz Festival</a> is this week I was thrilled.

The event runs from Thursday through Saturday at the Union Colony Civic Center, 701 10th Ave., and features Take 6, Northern Colorado Voices, Ahmad Jamal, Slide Hampton with UNC Jazz Lab Band, Stefon Harris and Blackout and Jazz Festival All-Stars to name a few.

The event, billed as the largest of its kind in the nation, also draws 300 student jazz ensembles from around the U.S. and Canada. Each day there are educational opportunities with clinics on different techniques for students.

Jazz is less accessible than many other styles of music, especially live Jazz. This is a great opportunity for seasoned jazz fans and newbie's to the genre alike to get a good dose of great music.

And as a footnote make sure to check out Dan England’s live coverage of the festival this week.