KENNEDY STUDENT WINS CORRIDOR JAZZ ART 

Jazz Duo – by Amari Jacobo

CONTEST

Mt. Vernon Entry To Be Featured at Taste of Jazz Fundraiser

For the first time in the nearly twenty-year history of KCCK’s Corridor Jazz Project, two winners have been crowned in the high school art contest.

“Jazz Duo,” from Amari Jacobo, a senior at Kennedy High School, has been chosen as the cover design for the “The Corridor Jazz Project XVII”, a compilation of recordings produced by Iowa’s Jazz Station. The album features the top jazz bands from Jefferson, Kennedy, Prairie, Xavier and Washington High Schools in Cedar Rapids, Linn-Mar and Marion in Marion; City High and West High in Iowa City, Anamosa, Center-Point Urbana, Clear Creek-Amana, Independence, Liberty, Lisbon, Mid-Prairie, Solon, West Branch, and Williamsburg. Independence and Williamsburg are new to the program in 2024.

Moonlight Jazz – Kaylee Gates

But, there’s more! “Moonlight Jazz,” created by Kaylee Gates from Mt. Vernon High School, also impressed the jury panel, who recommended it as the graphic design for KCCK’s Taste of Jazz, a fundraiser held each spring that supports the station’s jazz education programs, including the Corridor Jazz Project.

“The jury was even more impressed than usual with this year’s submissions,” says KCCK general manager Dennis Green. “One panel member remarked there were at least a half-dozen entries that could have won in past years. We’re thrilled that we can honor two outstanding young visual artists this year.”

Amari and Kaylee will each receive a $100 cash prize from KCCK-FM.

Receiving Honorable Mention in the contest were these students:

• Collin Clark, Mt. Vernon
• Raelyn FitzGerald, Linn-Mar
• Lillian Marchbanks, Kennedy
• Sydney Mave, Mt. Vernon
• Alyssa Newport, Linn-Mar
• Alex Potts, Kennedy
• Amanda Speidel, Kennedy
• Raelene Swore, Kennedy
• Colin Thornton, Mr. Vernon

Amari and Kaylee’s original pieces, as well as those receiving Honorable Mention will be exhibited during the Corridor Jazz Project concerts, March 4 at the Paramount Theatre, and March 5 at Voxman Hall of Music, University of Iowa.

The Corridor Jazz Project is a jazz education and mentoring program created by KCCK-FM. The program matches each high school’s top jazz band with a professional jazz player, who performs as a guest soloist with the band. The subsequent recordings have been collected and will be released as a downloadable album and CD. 

Support for the Corridor Jazz Project comes from ACT, Hills Bank, Orchestra Iowa, Van Meter, and West Music.