North Texas Jazz Festival

The University of North Texas and the Town of Addison are pleased to have the occasion of the annual Jazz Festival to commemorate landmark figures in the development of UNT's renowned jazz program in the form of the following ensemble awards:

TOWN OF ADDISON SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
This award is bestowed upon a member of the One O'Clock Lab Band whose contributions to the group as a performer and/or composer/arranger have had the greatest impact on advancing the tradition of excellence over the past year. The award will be announced during the North Texas Jazz Festival in Addison at the April 17, 2009 evening concert by Steve Wiest, Interim Director of the One O'Clock Lab Band, and presented by both Mr. Wiest and Mr. Joe Chow, Mayor of the Town of Addison.

NEIL SLATER AWARD

The most outstanding soloist festival-wide, as selected by the adjudicators, is designated recipient of the Neil Slater Award.

Neil Slater was the third director of the UNT jazz program, serving from 1981 to 2008. It was during his tenure that the jazz program achieved international recognition as the leader in jazz at the university level. Touring the world as director of the One O'Clock Lab Band, Slater recorded live at major festivals, capturing the performances for which the One O'Clock Lab Band is renown. A pianist and Grammy-nominated composer, Slater continues to contribute to his formidable library of compositions for large jazz ensemble.

The recipient of the Slater Award will receive a handsome certificate signed by Neil Slater and Addison and UNT officials.

LEON BREEDEN AWARD

The high school or middle school big band selected by the adjudicators to appear on one of the evening "pro" concerts is designated recipient of the Leon Breeden Award.

Dr. Breeden (1921 - ) was the second director of the UNT jazz program, serving from 1959 to 1981. It was during his tenure that the school was "discovered" by Stan Kenton, widely considered a breakthrough to the program's international reputation enjoyed today. Among many significant honors received after his retirement, Breeden was awarded an honorary "Doctor of Letters" degree by his alma mater, Texas Christian University, in 2001.

The recipient of the Breeden Award will receive a handsome certificate signed by Dr. Breeden and Addison and UNT officials.

FLOYD "FESSOR" GRAHAM AWARD

The high school or middle school vocal group selected by the adjudicators to appear on one of the evening "pro" concerts is designated recipient of the Floyd "Fessor" Graham Award.

"Fessor" Graham (1902 — 1974) was a UNT music faculty member from 1927 to 1974 (47 years!). He was a very popular professor teaching a variety of courses/ensembles in both "classical" and "dance band" disciplines. He is perhaps best remembered as founder/director of the legendary "Aces of Collegeland" dance band. Though never a for-credit ensemble, the "Aces" is universally acknowledged as precursor to the modern Lab Band program. "Aces" alumni include Harry Babasin, Bob Dorough, Herb Ellis, and Jimmy Giuffre.

The recipient of the Graham Award will receive a handsome certificate signed by Fessor's daughter, Pati Graham Haworth, and Addison and UNT officials.

DR. M. E. "GENE" HALL AWARD

The university or community college big band selected by the adjudicators to appear on one of the evening "pro" concerts is designated recipient of the Dr. M. E. "Gene" Hall Award.

Dr. Hall (1913 — 1993) was the founding director of the UNT jazz program, serving from 1947 to 1959. His NT master's thesis ("The Development of a Curriculum for the Teaching of Dance Music at the College Level," 1944) served as the basis for the nation's first university-level curriculum for the study of jazz (labeled "Dance Band" at the time), established at then-North Texas State Teachers College in 1947. Hall later served as the first president of the International Association for Jazz Education.

The recipient of the Hall Award will receive a handsome certificate signed by Gene's widow, Marjorie Lynn Hall, and Addison and UNT officials.

RICH MATTESON AWARD

The university or community college combo selected by the adjudicators to appear on one of the evening "pro" concerts is designated recipient of the Rich Matteson Award.

Richmond Matteson (1929 - 1993) had a wide and varied career as a public school music teacher, professional performer (tuba, euphonium, piano), conductor, arranger/ composer and university professor, distinguishing himself in every endeavor to great acclaim. He taught at the University of North Texas for 13 years (1973 - 1986), and was the catalyst for the emergence of a combo/improvisation program at UNT to rival the school's renowned big band program.

After leaving UNT, Matteson was Koger Distinguished Professor of American Music at the University of North Florida, 1986 - 1992, and, in 1990, was elected to the International Association of Jazz Education Hall of Fame. His professional recording credits include Louis Armstrong, The Dukes of Dixieland, Matteson-Phillips TubaJazz Consort, bassist Red Mitchell and many others.

The recipient of the Matteson Award will receive a handsome certificate signed by
Rich's widow, Mikki, and Addison and UNT officials.

JACK PETERSEN AWARD

The high school or middle school combo selected by the adjudicators to appear on one of the evening "pro" concerts is designated recipient of the Jack Petersen Award.

Hailed as both a premier jazz guitarist and respected pedagogue, Jack Petersen honed his skills at UNT in the early 1950s, where he studied under Gene Hall and Floyd Graham, prior to serving in the 8th U.S. Army Band in Korea. In 1962, Petersen was called to design the first guitar program at Berklee School of Music. He returned to Dallas in 1965 and, in the mid-1970s, Leon Breeden tapped Petersen to develop the jazz guitar program at North Texas. The University of North Florida (UNF) lured the guitar master away in 1988, and he remained at UNF until his retirement in 1995.

Petersen's professional performance associations include Billy Taylor, Peggy Lee, Lena Horne, Dave Brubeck, Herb Ellis, Stan Kenton, Rufus Reid, Milt Hinton, Buddy DeFranco, Clark Terry, Nancy Wilson, Lou Marini, Randy Brecker, Doc Severinsen, Henry Mancini, Ellis Marsalis, Michel Legrand and the (Rich) Matteson/(Harvey) Phillips Tubajazz Consort.

Petersen has served on faculties of camps in Sweden, the Stan Kenton Clinics and National Stage Band Clinics, and camps of Jamey Aebersold and Clark Terry.

The recipient of the Petersen Award will receive a handsome certificate signed by Jack Petersen and Addison and UNT officials.

PARIS RUTHERFORD AWARD

The university or community college vocal jazz group selected by the adjudicators to appear on one of the evening "pro" concerts is designated recipient of the Paris Rutherford Award.

The recipient of the Rutherford Award will receive a handsome certificate signed by Paris Rutherford and Addison and UNT officials.

OUTSTANDING SOLOISTS

In addition to the preceding, an unlimited number of student musicians, as selected by the adjudicators, will receive "Outstanding Soloist" certificates. These will be announced at the Awards presentation on Saturday at 5:00 pm. From this number, the adjudicators will choose a small select group of students to be awarded scholarships to one of the North Texas Summer Jazz Workshops.