The tri-trumpet assault.

For the third consecutive year Eau Claire’s Memorial High School has won the prestigious honor of being selected to compete at Essentially Ellington in New York from May 8-10, proving once again that their Jazz I is a force to be reckoned with. This Super Bowl of high school jazz competitions started by sending materials to 1,550 high schools, from all over the world, and eventually cutting away to the top 15 bands. In the past 11 years alone, our local perennial jazz powerhouse has been selected an unprecedented seven times. And if that wasn’t enough, Katie Johnston, one of the Jazz I Alto Sax players, won the Essentially Ellington Writing Contest for her short story, No Words Needed. Johnston will be reading her piece during the festival.