"I can't wait to go to a concert when this is all over." Heard that one before? It's been almost a year since the COVID-19 pandemic shook up our daily lives and cancelled our plans for the foreseeable future. However, the vaccine rollout is beginning to present a glimmer of hope for a return to normalcy - with a touch of jazz.

• The show must go on! Organizers with the Fayetteville Jazz Festival have announced plans to move forward with the annual event on April 23-25, 2021. The event will also feature panel discussions, performance clinics, and workshops on jazz history, theory, and improvisation.
• Performances will take place on the U of A campus and will be limited to the campus community but streamed online for others to enjoy at local venues such as Prairie Street Live and the Fayetteville Public Library.
• Headliners include artists in residence Alexa Tarantino, Rodney Block, Carmen Bruner, and Jeremy Thomas, along with featured guest artists such as saxophonist Alexa Tarantino, trumpet player Rodney Block, vocalist Carmen Bruner, organist Jeremy Thomas and others.
• Local talent includes drummer Anthony Ball, guitarist Jake Hertzog, vocalist Lauren Nicole Clare, bassist Kyth Trantham, drummer Chris Teal, moderator Dr. Jeffery Murdock (UA), musicologist Dr. Kimberly Hannon Teal (UA), music theorist Dr. Joon Park, and the University of Arkansas Jazz Orchestra directed by Dr. Rick Salonen. -Fayetteville Flyer