Mountlake Terrace Jazz musicians win Newport Jazz Festival’s Sweepstakes Award

 

Terrace seniors (left-to-right) Joe Walrath, Jacob  Krieger and Ryan Leppich display the Sweepstakes Award won by MTHS Jazz 1 band on Saturday at the Newport Jazz Festival. (Photo by Sherrill Leppich)
Mountlake Terrace seniors (left-to-right) Joe Walrath, Jacob Krieger and Ryan Leppich display the Sweepstakes Award won by MTHS Jazz 1 band on Saturday at the Newport Jazz Festival. (Photo by Sherrill Leppich)

What gift do you give your school band director on his birthday? For members of Mountlake Terrace High School’s top jazz band, the answer came Saturday night.

Mountlake Terrace Jazz 1 won the Sweepstakes Award at the 2015 Newport Jazz Festival Saturday at Newport High School in Bellevue. The Mountlake Terrace musicians claimed the top prize after a day of concert presentations by more than 20 area high school jazz bands.

Coincidently, the festival took place on the birthday of band director Darin Faul.

In addition to taking home the top band prize, senior Jacob Krieger won an Outstanding Soloist Award in the AAAA division at the festival, the second time he has picked up the honor. Mountlake Terrace’s Joe Walrath, Jun Park and Andrew Sumabat earned Superior Soloist recognitions.

Mountlake Terrace Jazz 1 will next hit the stage at the Paramount Theater in Seattle as part of the 20th annual Hot Java Cool Jazz concert on Friday, Mar. 20. The benefit event will feature five of the area’s top high school jazz bands; tickets are $20 for the 7 p.m. show.

 MTHS Jazz 1 on stage at the Newport Jazz Festival. Standing is alto saxophonist Jacob Krieger, who earned an Outstanding Soloist Award at the competition.
Mountlake Terrace Jazz 1 on stage at the Newport Jazz Festival. Standing is alto saxophonist Jacob Krieger, who earned an Outstanding Soloist Award at the competition. (Photo by Doug Petrowski)
This is the second straight year Mountlake Terrace Jazz 1 has won the Sweepstakes Award (Photo by  Kat Kong)
This is the second straight year Mountlake Terrace Jazz 1 has won the Sweepstakes Award (Photo by Kat Kong)

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