Dinner and Live Jazz: Check Out Berkmar High Festival Saturday

It’s not a nightclub, but Berkmar High School is offering dinner and live jazz music Saturday night, with the school’s principal one of the featured acts.

The annual Berkmar Jazz Festival and Taste of Berkmar offers samples of food from area restaurant and a long list of performers, including the Large Principal Quartet, featuring Ken Johnson, principal of the Lilburn high school.

Johnson, along with Berkmar’s director of bands and music technology Nick Wiebers, started the event seven years ago to bring jazz to the community.

“Mr. Johnson established this festival in order to pay tribute to some of the greatest music in America and to open the doors of Berkmar High School to the surrounding community,” Wiebers said. “His vision is that one day we will have the crowds and popularity of the Atlanta Jazz Festival as we've brought many professional acts and performers from all around Georgia.”

The event, held in the school’s gymnasium, is scheduled 4 to 8 p.m.

The list of performers is long: Joe Gransden Quartet, Sam Skelton Quintet, Gordon Vernick Quintet, Guardian’s Army Big Band from Ft. McPherson, Victory Jazz Band, Neil Numbcom Quartet and the UGA Jazz Combo and Salsa Band, Dr. Arvin Scott and the World Beat Tour, North Georgia College Jazz Band, Georgia State University Graduate Jazz Combo, and jazz bands from Berkmar, Buford, Flowery Branch and North Hall high schools, and Norcross and Sweetwater middle schools.

The Taste of Berkmar, which joined the jazz festival in 2007, features food from 15 Lilburn-area restaurants.

Admission is free for the music, dancing, art displays and family games. Tickets to sample food are available for purchase.

For more info, visit www.berkmarband.com.