UNT Division of Jazz Studies

Dr. Marcus Wolfe (BM '99, MM '02) has accepted a position at Boise State University where he will be Director of Jazz Studies and the Gene Harris Jazz Festival starting this fall.

There are still a few spots left in the Lynn Seaton Jazz Double Bass Workshop at the University of North Texas.

The dates are June 14-18, 2010.

This intimate workshop is limited to 15 upright bassists.

For more information: http://www.jazz.unt.edu/node/123.

Too Two, the most recent CD by the Two O'Clock Lab Band and the first under the direction of Jay Saunders, is available to order here. Down Beat Student Music Award winners Adam Hutcheson, Tatiana Mayfield, Sean Jones, and John Guari are featured on this CD as well, and Sean Nelson’s award-winning chart was recorded by this band last fall.

Why check out the Two O’clock’s latest award winning CD, “Too Two”? Read these unsolicited comments by some “heavy” experts:

This is one of the best big band recordings I have ever heard. The rhythm section smokes from beginning to end. So happening. Tom “Bones” Malone, New York, NY.

Like lots of others, I've listened to (hundreds) of college jazz band CD's in my time, and without question this is the best ever. – Bill Snodgrass, respected jazz educator, clinician and adjudicator

It’s one thing to play challenging charts; it's another story for a band to "bring it" to the level of challenging charts that this band recorded...and "bring it" they did!
– Gary Grant, Los Angeles, CA

…great performance by the band. I expected that and was not disappointed.
– John Clayton, Los Angeles, CA

The band sounds GREAT!...nice playing and singing, very good soloists and a killer rhythm section! - Tom Peterson, Los Angeles, CA

UNT students won eight awards in the 33rd Annual Down Beat magazine Student Music Awards. The winners are announced in the June issue, which is published today. The awards cover a broad range of categories, which demonstrates the comprehensive excellence of our program.

Instrumental Jazz Soloist
Graduate College Outstanding Performance
Adam Hutcheson, alto saxophone
Brad Leali, mentor

Jazz Group/Combo
Graduate College Winner
Unstablemates
Melissa McMillan - Vocals
Adam Hutcheson - Alto Saxophone
Dustin Mollick - Tenor Saxophone
Brendan O'Neill - Drums
Andrew Carroll - Keyboard
Shannon Fearon - Bass
Stefan Karlsson, mentor

Large Jazz Ensemble
Graduate College Winner
Two O'Clock Lab Band
Jay Saunders, director
The Two O'Clock Lab Band's CD "Too Two" can be ordered here.

Vocal Jazz Soloist
Undergraduate College Outstanding Performance
Tatiana Mayfield, voice
Rosana Eckert, mentor

Extended Original Composition
Graduate College Winner
John Guari, "November"
Steve Wiest, mentor
"November" can be heard on the double-Grammy-nominated "Lab 2009" CD, which can be ordered here.

Jazz Arrangement
Undergraduate College Winner
Emily Scoresby, "Where is Love?"
Rosana Eckert, mentor

Jazz Arrangement
Graduate College Winner
Sean Nelson, "Beautiful Love"
Paris Rutherford & Akira Sato, mentors

Engineered Live Recording
Undergraduate College Winner
Sean Jones
Mike Steinel, mentor

(Click to enlarge)
UNT jazz groups are featured on the new UNT Showcase Stage at the Denton Arts & Jazz Festival. More photos

Saxophonist and alumnus Tom Luer sends this update:

Monday, April 26th we are back at the Oyster House in Studio City with my quintet “Project Popular”. My group is performing arrangements of pop and rock tunes by artists such as Prince, Pearl Jam, Alicia Keys, Soundgarden, Gnarles Barkley, and more, with a few originals as well. (No cover charge, cheap drinks, GREAT hang!) With Andy Langham-Piano, Andrew Synowiec-Guitar, Edwin Livingston-Bass, Dan Schnelle-Drums.

4/26/2010
10PM-1AM
Oyster House Saloon
12446 Moorpark St.
Studio City, CA 91604

On Tuesday, April 27th, I will be performing with the Wayne Bergeron Big Band at Vibrato’s. Wayne’s credits as a performer are too great to sum up here, so stop by his website for more info: www.waynebergeron.com . Simply put, this is one of the best bands in town. Led by Wayne, the band is a group of Los Angeles All-Stars who always deliver a great show! Hope to see you there! ($20 cover charge, sets at 8 and 9:30 PM)

4/27/2010
8PM-11PM
Vibrato
2930 Beverly Glen Circle
Bel Air, CA 90077-1724
www.vibratogrilljazz.com

UNT alumnus Alan Smollen lives in Japan and is interested in hearing from other UNT jazz alumni who are there. His email is alansmollen@music.email.ne.jp.

Tim Polster attended UNT from 1989-93 as a bass player and played in the Two O'Clock Lab Band for his last year with James Riggs. Now he operates a video, audio and photography business in Arlington. The company's website is www.metroplexmultimedia.com. He has a lot of experience with multi-camera shoots for live events using HD cameras.

Kris Berg teaches at Collin College in Plano, Texas. The Jazz Lab Band and Latin Jazz Ensemble from Collin College recently participated in the Elmhurst College Jazz Festival near Chicago. This is a college festival taking place in February and their participation was part of their "Windy City Tour" which included other performances in Arkansas and Missouri. Both bands received "Outstanding Band" awards and were the only bands from a two-year college to receive such awards, all the rest being four-year schools.

In March, the jazz studies program at Collin hosted the 18th Annual Collin Jazz Fest with special guest, Tom "Bones" Malone. The festival hosted over 20 public school bands and 2 sell-out concerts.

Kris directed both the Oklahoma All State and the Wyoming All State Jazz Bands this spring. In May, he will be traveling to Maine as a guest artist/clinician at the Maine Music Educators Association conference, where he will be doing several clinics, including his clinic "Arranging for Jazz Combo", and conducting the new music reading session for his publisher, Alfred.

The website for which Bryan English composes soundtracks (www.HowItShouldHaveEnded.com) just won the 2010 Streamy award for "Best Animated Series" on the internet. The "Streamys" are the internet equivalent to the Emmys, Tonys, Grammy awards. This is only the 2nd year they've held the awards. Bryan has been writing for this website for about 5 years. It's owned by the Starz Network. He's also working on producing an original series for the network.