The 65th Annual EIU Jazz Festival will be held on February 7-8, 2025. The festival will open on Friday, February 7th, with a concert featuring the EIU Jazz Ensemble and guest performer, Chad LB, saxophone. Junior and senior high school performances and clinics, including a clinic by Chad LB, will be on Saturday, February 8, 2025.
Information for Directors - please complete all three forms below by Friday, January 10, 2025.
Hailed as a "Sax Phenom" by the New York Daily News, Chad LB is a featured artist on 2 GRAMMY winning albums, and has toured through 6 continents playing venues from Carnegie Hall to the Super Bowl. As a bandleader, he’s headlined jazz venues and festivals around the world, and as a soloist he’s joined acts like Chris Botti, Arturo Sandoval, and Christian McBride. No stranger to the big screen, Chad has been featured on numerous TV shows with pop icons like Taylor Swift, rock legends like Don Henley, as well as the Hollywood film, “Here Today” with Billy Crystal and Tiffany Haddish.
A native of Elmira, New York, Chad established himself as a jazz prodigy at age 11, performing throughout New York State under the mentorship of local jazz hero, George Reed, who was known for backing legends like Teddy Wilson, Buddy Tate, and Marian McPartland.
Chad went on to pursue a formal education in the arts at the Brubeck Institute, a prestigious fellowship program created by jazz legend Dave Brubeck. While studying at the institute, he performed regularly with Brubeck and was a member of the Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet.
Chad received many accolades during his scholastic career, including 15 DownBeat Magazine Student Music Awards for categories such as "Best Jazz Soloist" and "Best Original Song."
His debut album, Imagery Manifesto, was named “Debut Album of the Year” by jazz critic and author, Doug Ramsey, and two of his most recent recordings as a leader, “Onward,” and "Live at The Bridge" feature jazz legend, Randy Brecker, with whom he has toured and headlined jazz festivals throughout the United States and Europe.
Doudna Fine Arts Center
600 Lincoln Ave.
Charleston, IL 61920
217-581-3010
music@eiu.edu
