Last week was the biggest week of the year for local high and junior high school jazz musicians. The annual Miami Valley Jazz Camp took place at Centerville High School with a record 110 students participating. The faculty included many local musicians and teachers, along with Louisville saxophonist Ron Jones and New York trombonist Conrad Herwig as guest instructors. There was also an intensive one-hour seminar with the great trumpeter Arturo Sandoval before his concert in Springfield Thursday.

     Wednesday afternoon the Dayton Jazz Orchestra played an hour-long concert with Ron Jones sitting in the saxophone section and Conrad Herwig leading the band during the second half in some of his arrangements. A special treat was Dizzy Gillespie's "A Night in Tunisia" with Francis Wyatt replacing DJO leader Tom Pompei on drums. Jones and Herwig took most of the solos, but trombonist Vaughn Wiester and trumpeters Gerry Bailey and Alan Parr got some licks in.

     Friday night was the Grand Finale, splitting the students up into six big bands directed by faculty members Herwig; Jones; Stivers School for the Arts music director Claude Thomas; Lakota East High School music director Dave Kaiser; Fairmont music director Dan Nicora; and Hamilton High School director Bill Burns. From Burns' band, each of whom were making their first public appearances, to Herwig's band, with the cream of the crop, all of the kids had fun. Traditionally, the last night ends with all the students massed on stage and on the floor playing Duke Ellington's "C Jam Blues". As in past years, even with the large number of students, the performance went off without a hitch. Certain students were picked to play short solos and then Herwig came out with his trombone and plunger and took one, too. The whole night was a gas, a way over what you would expect from a group of students with varying talents. 

     You would expect Ron Jones to be worn out from working at the camp eight hours a day all week. But, no, he was at the Jazz Room at Pacchia Thursday and Friday nights. Thursday he was with the house group, including pianist Erik Augis, bassist Mike Sharfe and drummer Tony Franklin. He was back again Friday with his quartet, which featured guitarist Dan Faehnle, bassist Sonny Stephens and drummer Bruce Morrow. Although Jones and Faehnle play some great bebop and hard bop together, the highlight to these ears was their duet on Duke Ellington's "In a Mellow Tone".