The Iola bandstand will feature jazzy tunes at 7 p.m. Sunday.
Humboldt native Jud Hawley, along with Allen Community College music director Ted Clous, Seth Cuppy and Tyler Holloway, will play a variety of jazz numbers in the heart of Iola.
Hawley, event organizer, hopes to see a good crowd.
Hawley had his start in music at a fairly young age.
“My dad tried to play guitar but he was awful at it,” Hawley, 20, said jokingly. “So the guitar was lying around and I picked it up to play it.”
His parents paid for guitar lessons in eighth grade and he continued practicing on his own. He played saxophone in middle school and high school band and played guitar at small venues with friends.
In July he will make an appearance at the Mad Bomber run.
“Last year I played with Riley Herder and it was a lot of fun,” he said. “I’m excited to do it again.”
He finds music inspiration from a wide range of genres. Hawley enjoys Billy Joel and said 90s country music artists like Alan Jackson are “pretty cool.”
He is a sophomore at Allen Community College and plays saxophone in the band and guitar for the jazz band.
“When I got into the jazz band at Allen I realized how bad I was at jazz,” he said. “I started taking private lessons with Ted Clous and working on jazz songs.”
It was during one of his lessons with Clous that he decided to put on a jazz show for the Iola community. Clous will play piano, Cuppy will play bass and Holloway will be on drums.
“Jazz is not as big as it use to be,” he said. “I hope that will change.”
After school he helps teach students guitar at SAFE BASE.
“The kids have caught on so fast and they are smart for sure,” he said.
Next year he plans to attend Emporia State University to pursue a career in music education.
Locals bring taste of jazz to Iola bandstand Sunday
