New York Latin percussionist Bobby Sanabria will be one of four guest artists for this year’s Ashland University Maplerock Jazz Festival. Sanabria has performed with jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, Arturo Sandoval and many more.

AU’s music department hopes to have another successful jazz festival this year. The date is April 29, which is the latest date for the festival in recent years.

This year’s festival will also feature special guests Paul Ferguson, trombone; Bobby Selvaggio, saxophone; and Marc Piane, bass.

“It’s going to be good music,” said Scott Garlock, director of the AU Jazz Orchestra. “It’s going to be great.”

During the day, Ohio high school jazz bands will perform and be critiqued by the guest artists for the festival and will also have free admission to the concert. Later that night at 7:30, the four guest artists will join the AU Jazz Orchestra for an electrifying concert.

“I know it will be high energy,” Garlock said.

Ferguson currently plays trombone for the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra. Selvaggio is from Cleveland and is a former member of the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra. Piane is an ex-student of Garlock’s at Knox College and currently resides in Chicago.

Chris Simmons, Jim Slike, Trent Kimball and Aaron Hill are students who will be featured during the concert as well.

Last year, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band came all the way from New Orleans as special guests for the festival, and they blew the roof off of the Hugo Young Theatre, according to the music department. This year’s guests will have a big challenge in following the Dirty Dozen as special guests.

Unlike other popular jazz festivals, the high school bands are not ranked based on their performances, and every band receives professional instruction from the special guests. This is a first-hand experience that many high school students don’t have the chance to take part in.

For the first time, the concert will have reserved seating in the lower bowl and the first row of the back section. Tickets for the back of the theatre will be available after the lower bowl is filled.

Tickets are available at the AU Box Office, located in the lobby of the Hugo Young Theatre. You can also reserve tickets by calling 419-289-5125 weekdays from noon to 6 p.m. Students may reserve their seats; non-student pricing is to be determined.