Pictured: LSU Tiger Jazz Band
HOPE – President Bill Clinton’s 80th birthday was celebrated in a grand way Saturday in Hope. The Louisiana State University Jazz Band from Baton Rouge, LA. played a fabulous array of jazz favorites from the Paul Klipsch Stage next door to the Clinton Birthplace Home for an appreciative audience. President Clinton grew up loving jazz music, so each year the Birthplace Home celebrates with a jazz concert. This year being his 80th birthday, the Birthplace Home brought in the finest lineup of jazz groups in the history of the event.
The LSU Jazz Band, directed by Douglas Stone, is comprised of talented musiciansfrom all over the country, some being students and other professors. They entertained the nice crowd gathered, despite the extreme summer heat of over 100 degrees.
As an added bonus, the Hope High School Jazz Band under the direction of Woody Boyd took the Klipsch Stage soon after. The group of about a dozen students who perform often at local events did a really nice job, as they always do. The LSU Jazz Band spent part of their day Friday at Hope High School in a jazz workshop with members of the Bobcat Band.
Pictured: LSU Jazz Band Director Douglas Stone
Pictured: Hope High School Jazz Band
Pictured: Hope’s own Jeff Madlock (left), along with the Michael Bartlett Trio performing on the National Park Service stage.
Photos by Davis Johnson