Ralph Hepola Receives Major Grant from John Stites Jazz Awards of Michigan
John Stites Jazz Awards of Michigan has awarded a major grant to Ralph Hepola to fund a May tour. As a musician who plays the language of contemporary jazz on the tuba, Hepola is totally focused on ‘a new and innovative approach’ which was required by the JSJA application guidelines. The applications were scored by an independent Review Committee composed of professional jazz musicians with national and international experience. The winning projects focused on expanding the audience for jazz, while celebrating the diverse national and international influences on the music and identifying opportunities to capitalize on the intergenerational and cross-cultural appeal of jazz.
Only three applicants won awards. The other two were New York City pianist/singer Judy Carmichael whom Count Basie nicknamed “Stride”, and CityMusic Cleveland which will produce a jazz documentary. JSJA has awarded over $280,000 in the last 4 years.
Hepola will tour with Kansas City-born veteran guitarist John Strickler, Nashville bassist Seth Darby and up-and-coming drummer Daniel Pasquale. The tour, entitled “Take in a Jazz Festival this Summer!” will publicize ten major Upper Midwest jazz festivals including the Twin Cities Jazz Festival in St. Paul, Minnesota, Hepola’s hometown.
The group will perform in smaller communities, which have limited exposure to live jazz and no jazz festival:
Thursday, May 23, 7:00-8:30pm Art Space 304 in Carbondale – sponsored by Southern Illinois Arts Council
Friday, May 24, 7:00-8:30pm Galena Center for the Arts in Galena, Illinois – sponsored by Illinois Arts Council
Saturday, May 25, 7:00-8:30pm Streator Park Fest in Streator, Illinois
Sunday, May 26, 2:00-4:00pm Memorial Weekend Arts Show in Newaygo, Michigan
Sunday, May 27/Memorial Day 1:00-2:30 Kensington Metropark Art Fair in Milford, Michigan (suburban Detroit)
Wednesday, May 29 The Boneyard Creek Crossing, City of Urbana – Urbana Arts & Culture Program, Illinois
Ralph Hepola is heard on 51 recordings and 49 video productions. While still in high school he performed as an extra musician with the Minnesota Orchestra in Minneapolis, then won a position with the United States Army Band of Washington, DC. Hepola completed his music degree at Northwestern University where he studied with Arnold Jacobs, Principal Tubaist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for 44 years. Seven books have been published on the life and teaching of Arnold Jacobs. Hepola then won the tuba position in Switzerland’s Basel Symphony Orchestra. He has freelanced in New York City and Minneapolis/St. Paul; more recently focusing exclusively on improvisation. JAZZIZ has called Hepola “a musician who plays the language of contemporary jazz on the tuba”.
More info at RalphHepola.com ###
