Seeley named Alumnus of the Year

A Holton High School Class of 1978 alum who went on to win Grammy Awards for his work in jazz music has been named this year’s HHS Alumnus of the Year, it has been reported.

Jim Seeley, a trumpet and flugelhorn player who’s also a composer-arranger and educator, will be honored during the HHS Alumni Banquet, to be held Saturday, May 23 at the Northeast Kansas Heritage Complex.

Seeley has performed, recorded and toured with a number of well-known artists including Ray Charles, Maynard Ferguson’s Big Bop Nouveau, the Duke Ellington Orchestra, the Art Ensemble of Chicago and many others since his graduation from HHS.

As an original member of the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Arturo O’Farrill, Seeley has performed on eight Grammy-winning recordings and is a longtime member of the Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble, an offshoot of the larger group.

Seeley has also served on the faculty of the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music and Jazz at Lincoln Center, and he is currently working as a trumpet instructor and Latin jazz combo leader for the Afro-Latin Jazz Alliance as well as the All-City Latin Orchestra. He has also been leading master classes and combos in New York and abroad for many years.

Seeley said he is “greatly appreciative” of the honor.

“Though I left my beloved hometown many years ago to pursue a life in music, I've never stopped returning to see family and friends and to do concerts whenever possible,” he said. “Sadly, I no longer have family left in the area, but I do still have a good number of very close friends that I've known for most of my life — and to me that is the very next best thing! I'll always consider Holton my home, filled with so many incredible memories, and I will always look forward to returning to my hometown.”