MUSICALLY NOTED: DownBeat jazz magazine has recognized Jim Widner, director of jazz studies at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, with an Achievement Award. Widner was among three music educators in the country who were recognized with the award by the magazine, which published its 32nd annual Student Music Awards in its June issue.

A DownBeat article on Widner chronicled the music teacher’s career of running jazz camps, which began when he was a touring member of the Kenton Orchestra. He worked at Stan Kenton’s jazz camps for 10 years.

Widner started his first jazz camp in 1988 and now runs four a year. He also directs the UMSL Jazz Ensemble.

The camps include combo camps at UMSL and at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and big band camps at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and California State University-Sacramento. Noted jazz musicians teach at the camps, and the students get to play alongside them.

The UMSL camp runs July 12 through 17 at the university’s J.C. Penney Conference Center. The scheduled list of teachers includes: Dave Pietro, Mike Metheny, Scott Whitfield, Ken Kehner, Danny Embrey, Miles Vandiver and Hugh Jones.

Campers will perform at 1 p.m., July 17 in the E. Desmond and Mary Ann Lee Theater at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center. Info at: http://www.jimwidnerbigband.com/jazzcamps.htm