Guest artist Micah Bell is a performer, a composer, an arranger and an educator. He is currently a professor of music and trumpet at Tyler Junior College and has traveled to Minot to take part in the Magic City Jazz Festival.

Support local and regional jazz artists this evening at the Magic City Jazz Festival. Taking place at Ann Nicole Nelson Hall starting at 7 p.m., the festival will feature jazz bands from Minot, Glenburn, Surrey, Williston and Wolford with guest artists Micah Bell and Charlie Young.

A variety of jazz tunes will be played, including “Caravan,” by the Jim Hill Middle School jazz band, “Night Train,” by the Erik Ramstad jazz band, “Big Noise from Winnetka,” by the Central Campus jazz band, and much more.

The guest artists will perform alongside The Swing Band of Minot. Micah Bell will perform “Aim For the Heart” and Charlie Young will perform “Chelsea Bridge.”

Bell is a performer, a composer, an arranger and an educator. He gained his bachelor of music education in 2007 from TCU and then his masters in trumpet performance in 2009. He currently serves as a freelance trumpet player, composer and arranger in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex and is professor of music and trumpet at Tyler Junior College.

Bell is a regular performer nationwide and is a regular member of the Imperial Brass, Omni Brass, Rose City Brass, Metroplexity Big Band, Essimar Trio, Rose City Jazz Orchestra, The Project Band and has served as interim director of bands at Tyler Junior College and interim director of jazz studies at the University of Texas at Tyler.

Through his many performances, Bell has had the honor of performing on stage with many notable musicians such as Aretha Franklin, Martina McBride, Lou Marini, Kirk Whalum, Wayne Bergeron, and many more.

Charlie Young is an assistant professor of woodwinds and director of jazz studies at Minot State University. He plays the saxophone, bassoon, clarinet, flute and oboe and holds the principal clarinet chair of the Minot Symphony Orchestra and the Western Plains Opera Company.

Young has appeared as a guest artist at Florida State University, Georgia State University, Columbus State University and the University of Montevallo presenting master classes and a duo recital program of the 21st century music for saxophone and clarinet. He was also a winner of the University of Georgia’s Concerto Competition and shared the stage with the UGA Symphony Orchestra.

The guests pair with the many area jazz bands will put together the Magic City Jazz Festival. Tickets will cost $8 for adults, $5 for those ages five to 12, and free for those six and under.