It’s all up-side for area teenaged jazz musicians performing at the North Bend Jazz Walk Saturday, and for their band directors.

Headliners themselves, the students will also learn from and perform with professional musicians headlining at other Jazz Walk venues, and get exposed to the full spectrum of jazz, flavored with vocals, pop, funk, Latin and swing styles.

“It’s really about having a fun evening of not just playing, but listening to some great jazz,” says Edd George, director of the Bellevue Jazz Ensemble, which performs as part of the high school big band show all evening at the North Bend Theater.

More than 200 performers are on the schedule says Jazz Walk organizer and band director Danny Kolke, promising a great experience for all participants, but especially for the students.

“The idea is the kids can go there, they can see other high school bands, or they can grab their tickets and go see these professionals performing,” said Kolke, whose Mount Si Jazz Band II students take the stage first at the theater. “So many festivals you go to are all big bands… a lot of the students don’t get to see small groups.”

In all, five high school bands will play at the Jazz Walk, Mount Si High School’s Jazz Bands I and II, Mercer Island, Sammamish and George’s Bellevue group. Each band competes in a local and regional circuit of jazz festivals, too.

The high school show was inspired by the shortcomings of the traditional high school jazz festival.

“We were trying to give the students a different experience,” Kolke said.

A typical festival is more limited, giving musicians about 20 minutes of playing time, plus, maybe a one-hour session with a clinician, he explained. The Jazz Walk has each band slated for a 45-minute set, and at least three hours of rehearsal time with a professional jazz musician beforehand.

“Educators are great, but it’s a different experience to work with a real professional musician,” Kolke said.

Educator George agrees. He heard trumpeter Jonathan Pugh offer his 35 students some of the same advice he’d been giving them during their rehearsals for the Jazz Walk, but noticed that, “Whenever a guest says it, they always seem to get it more… it brings validity to things I tell them when someone else says it, too.”

Pugh focused much of his time with the Bellevue students on soloing, a hallmark of jazz, and a big challenge for young performers.

“It’s pretty advanced,” George said. “It takes a lot of skill just to be able to negotiate the chord changes in a particular song.”

Kolke’s students were immediately struck by the seriousness of their mentor, Thomas Marriott, he said. The 20-member band worked on standard, swing and Latin jazz tunes with Marriott last week.

“This is a great experience for my band to get to work with a professional on putting together a gig,” Kolke said. “The teaching plus performance prep is incredible.”

Kolke and Mount Si’s Jazz Band I director Matt Wenman selected which bands to invite to this first-ever high school show, based on their existing relationships.

“Instead of inviting a lot of bands, let’s invite a handful of really good local bands that are close,” is how Kolke summarized their approach.

Before they invited anyone, though, they knew the Jazz Walk, held in September for the past three years, would have to move further into the school year.

“September’s not enough time for bands to be ready,” Kolke explained.

Passion for jazz goes a long way toward getting them ready. George considers himself, and other participating band directors, “lucky to have freshmen come in who already love jazz.”

George said the Jazz Walk is “a unique opportunity” for his students, because it’s close and features so many musicians. “I hope the kids get to go into town and keep listening after we’re done,” he said. “I told them they had to…”

Kolke is hoping a lot of people stay at the event and keep listening, because after his students’ performance at the theater, and his own show at Boxley’s, he’s looking forward to the 9 p.m. show at Boxley’s.

“David Mariott is going to do a late-night jam session,” he said, with the goal of attracting other performers who’ve finished up their shows. “It’s going to be fun. I’m going to have a good time regardless!”

The high school big band show starts at 5 p.m. at the North Bend Theater. Other Jazz Walk events begin at 6 p.m. For details, visit www.northbendjazzwalk.com.

Mount Si High School’s Jazz Band II practices with trumpeter Thomas Marriott last week.