It’ll be jazz, jazz and more jazz starting today when the 2nd Annual N.C. Central University African Ameri-can Jazz Caucus Research Institute (NAJRI) Jazz Conference and the 18th Annual NCCU Jazz Festival kick off a four-day jazz festival and conference.

Ira Wiggins, NCCU’s director of jazz studies, is excited about the conference and festival, which runs through April 19.

“I encourage all students to come out and support the jazz industry,” said Wiggins. “Hopefully this conference will be beneficiary to everyone.”

The festival features a variety of performers, including Cedar Walton, David “Fathead” Newman and Wes “Warm Daddy” Anderson.

Cedar Walton, a jazz pianist, will perform tomorrow in the B.N. Duke Auditorium with his trio.

“We will have Fathead, the saxophonist who played with Ray, for one of the featured performers,” said Wiggins.

Newman, a.k.a. “Texas Tenor,” a legendary saxophonist, had a 12-year association with the Ray Charles Band.

He will perform on Saturday with NCCU’s Jazz Ensemble.

Alto saxophonist Wessell “Warm Daddy” Anderson, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., will perform Friday with NCCU’s Vocal Jazz Ensemble.

“I think that Warm Daddy will make students think they can achieve more being that he is in his 30s,” said Wiggins.

“This will encourage middle school students to have an understanding of jazz.”

The event includes three jam sessions, the first with music assistant professor Robert Trower.

“This first session is very essential,” said Wiggins.

“It helps the audience recognize the importance of jazz and the jazz musicians.”

The opening reception features legendary pianist Dr. Billy Taylor.

Taylor is the founder of Jazzmobile — an outreach organization committed to promoting jazz.

Taylor is an inductee into NAJRI Hall of Fame.

This year’s inductees into the Hall of Fame include N.C. jazz greats Max Roach, John Coltrane, Percy Heath and Thelonious Monk.

Coltrane was born in Hamlet, Heath was born in Wilmington, Roach was born in New Land and Monk was born in Rocky Mount.

Floyd Hayes will be the plenary speaker at tomorrow’s 9 a.m. session.

Hayes is an NCCU alumnus and a senior lecturer in the department of political science at Johns Hopkins University, where he teaches a course called “Bebop, Modernism and Change.”

Conference workshops will include “Building a More Comprehensive Jazz Education Curriculum” and “Jazz and Hip Hop as an Education Performance/ Ritual.”

There will be four panel sessions at the conference including, “The Role of Jazz Radio, TV, and Print Media and the Internet” and “Developing Situations to Strengthen Jazz Programs at HBCUs.”

“The conference is open to everyone,” said Wiggins.

“You are never too young to understand the jazz industry.”

Registration for the 2008 NAJRI Jazz Conference and Festival begins today at 9 a.m. in B.N. Duke Auditorium.

The conference is free for NCCU students. Prices vary for the special concerts.