More Than Music: The Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival
June 14, 2023
These excerpts are from an article written by Thom Kokenge from Northwest Public Broadcasting on May 18, 2023. Read the full story here.
MOSCOW, ID — The Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival (LHJF) is a jewel set among the rolling Palouse hills. Held for 56 years at the University of Idaho in Moscow, this festival has attracted such luminaries as Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie and the man of note, Lionel Hampton, for whom the U of I School of Music is named.
The LHJF is the largest, four-day jazz festival west of the Mississippi. Bringing in hundreds of elementary, middle and high school students from local and regional schools, and even a few from farther afield – some of this year’s long-distance travelers hailed from Cincinnati, Ohio, and took home several awards, including Best Elementary Jazz Combo, and AAAA High School Jazz Combo.
About the University of Idaho
The University of Idaho, home of the Vandals, is Idaho’s land-grant, national research university. From its residential campus in Moscow, U of I serves the state of Idaho through educational centers in Boise, Coeur d’Alene and Idaho Falls, nine research and Extension centers, plus Extension offices in 42 counties. Home to nearly 11,000 students statewide, U of I is a leader in student-centered learning and excels at interdisciplinary research, service to businesses and communities, and in advancing diversity, citizenship and global outreach. U of I competes in the Big Sky and Western Athletic conferences. Learn more at uidaho.edu.