A Night of Jazz: Manchester student-musicians take center stage

MANCHESTER, NH – On a rainy Thursday evening, jazz ensembles from the Manchester School District came together for “A Night of Jazz” at The Rex Theatre.  Students from five Manchester schools put on a wonderful show that displayed the talents and efforts of young musicians and their teachers.

The annual show provides an opportunity for students to play at a cool city venue while also raising funds for their music programs. Students, parents, and friends attended the show despite the rain and were treated to the best jazz event of the year in the Queen City. Coinciding with this year’s annual Taco Tour, the two events made for an amazing, albeit very wet, night in Manchester.

Ed Doyle, the Director of Fine Arts for the district, welcomed everyone to the show.  He also announced an exciting opportunity for students to take part in the Manchester Music and Jazz Festival that will be held at The Rex on August 8-9, 2025.

Photo Gallery by Lisa Fleming Brock

The show opened with Parkside and Hillside Middle schools, then West, Memorial, and Central high schools performed.  Each band played three songs.  The Rex Theatre’s digital background on stage changed to match each school’s color when they played, which was a fun touch.

The Parkside Middle School Jazz Band was led by Mr. Doyle. They performed “Jammin’ with Charlie” by Dean Sorenson and Bruce Pearson, “Doxy” by Sonny Rollins, and “Cold Duck Time” by Eddie Harris. Although Parkside was a small band, they established a great groove for the night and ended their set with a fierce drum solo.

The Hillside Middle School Jazz Band (Matthew Redmond, Director) then took the stage as the largest band of the night.  They performed a traditional arrangement of “Down by the Riverside,” and arrangements of “Now’s the Time” by Charlie Parker and “Caravan” by Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, and Juan Tizol. With many solos, the band showcased serious up and coming talents.

The Jazz Band from Manchester High School West (Rebecca Berger, Director) was the smallest ensemble of the night, but they played big with two pianos.  They performed “It’s Never Over Til the Fat Lady Swings” by Andy Clark, “Oasis” by Bob Turner, and “Knockout” by Erik Sherburne.

Memorial High School’s Jazz Band (David Brien, Director) took a different approach to their performance. Instead of sitting in chairs to play, most of Memorial’s musicians stood at the front of the stage with an alto saxophone, trumpet, and two flutes. With a smooth tone, they played arrangements of “Watermelon Man” by Herbie Hancock, “Moon Gazer,” by Robert Beasley, and “Milestones” by Miles Davis.

The Central High School Jazz Band (Timothy Russell, Director) capped off the night with booming arrangements of “Morocco” by Russ Freeman, “God Bless the Child” by Arthur Herzog and Billy Holiday, and “Big Swing Face” by Bill Potts.

According to Doyle, the idea for “A Night of Jazz” began in 2022 when the Central High School Jazz Band performed at the inauguration for Mayor Joyce Craig.  Peter Ramsey, the President and CEO of The Palace Theatre, then reached out to Doyle, and shared the idea of showcasing our public school students in a professional setting.  Through the efforts of Doyle, the district music teachers, and the staff at the Palace Theatre and The Rex, “A Night of Jazz” has been growing every year to raise funds for the Manchester School District music programs and to give their students the opportunity to perform at the Rex.

The staff at The Rex, including Ramsey and Warren O’Reilly (The Rex Theatre Manager), assisted with marketing and production elements to make this a great night of music in the community.  With performances like those on Thursday night, the future is bright for jazz in Manchester schools and our city.  As public schools across the country face financial challenges on the local, state, and federal level, Thursday’s performances demonstrate the value of supporting music and the necessity of the arts in our schools.