The 54th Annual Elmhurst University Jazz Festival Program by Elmhurst University

Friday–Sunday, February 26–28, 2021 MATT WILSON’S ARTS & CRAFTS RYAN TRUESDELL’S GIL EVANS PROJECT PRESENTS BIRTH OF THE COOL KURT ELLING DENNIS MACKREL • DONNY McCASLIN • TERELL STAFFORD

ABOUT THE

FESTIVAL

The 54th edition of the Festival will be remembered not only for another great year of music, but also as a year of some changes. First, you may notice that the event is now known as the Elmhurst University Jazz Festival as a result of our institution’s name change. Another significant difference is the presentation format: the 2021 Festival is a virtual event, held entirely online. While we are not able to gather in Hammerschmidt Chapel, we are confident that you’ll find the student and professional performances just as inspiring as when seated in the luxurious Chapel pews. The current Elmhurst University Jazz Festival rose from the ashes of the now defunct American College Jazz Festival. The original Festival, established in 1968, was comprised of eight regional sites throughout the United States. Elmhurst University hosted the Midwest event. Each regional festival produced a winning band, combo, and vocalist, who then performed at a national festival on Memorial Day weekend. American Airlines, Budweiser, and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts sponsored the annual extravaganza. The national festival expired in 1973, but Elmhurst University continued its festival with a new approach. Instead of a winner-take-all format, the emphasis was shifted from competition to education. Guest artists offer constructive critiques of each performing group, conduct clinics, and demonstrate their skill in concert. The artists also grant awards to outstanding ensembles, individual musicians, and student composers & arrangers. The Festival has hosted some of the most iconic names in jazz. Dizzy Gillespie, Cannonball Adderley, Lee Konitz, Clark Terry, Bob Brookmeyer, the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, the Dave Holland Quintet, Nicholas Payton, Diana Krall, Dee Dee Bridgewater, the Bill Holman Band, the Phil Woods Quintet, the Count Basie Orchestra, Maynard Ferguson, Patti Austin, Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, the Joe Lovano Quartet, the Maria Schneider Orchestra, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, The ClaytonHamilton Jazz Orchestra, The Jeff Hamilton Trio, Ryan Truesdell’s Gil Evans Project and The Dave Douglas Quintet all have graced our stage.

Since 1968, there have been countless unforgettable moments. Many of them have been the performances by the legendary artists who make the journey to our stage each year. But the student musicians who perform on the afternoon and evening sessions have created a great number of those magical moments. They deliver heartfelt performances and give the audiences all they have and more. Many have gone on to careers in music and have made their mark in the art form. Professionals who performed here as students include Delfayo Marsalis, Rich Perry, Cecil Bridgewater, John Harmon, John Fedchock, Peter Erskine, Tim Hagans and Dee Dee Bridgewater. The Festival is above all else a forum for jazz education. It is a gathering where some of the world’s most acclaimed artists come together with the next generation of musicians to not only perform the music, but also to study it. The Festival is a place where students have access to some of the best musicians in the business and can ask them directly about their artistry. In 2017, the Festival celebrated its 50th Anniversary. Today, we still look back on a history that clearly marks its status as an institution. While the 54th edition is presented in a virtual format, it promises to keep that tradition alive. It is a special happening: a rare blend of educational enrichment and exciting entertainment. Welcome to our celebration of America's sublime art form.

THE 55TH ANNUAL ELMHURST UNIVERSITY JAZZ FESTIVAL Thursday-Sunday, February 24-27, 2022 Visit our website at elmhurst.edu/jazzfestival for updated information. Follow Elmhurst University: /elmhurstuniversity /elmhurst_u /elmhurstuniversitymusic

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FEATURE

PERFORMANCES

RYAN TRUESDELL’S GIL EVANS PROJECT PRESENTS BIRTH OF THE COOL The Gil Evans Project was born out of composer/producer Ryan Truesdell’s desire to restore and perform Gil Evans’ music directly from Gil’s original manuscripts. The magic of Gil’s writing lies in the details, and without his original scores, it is nearly impossible to accurately perform his music as originally intended. After years of painstaking research, countless hours of preparation, and with full support from the Evans family, Ryan Truesdell and the Gil Evans Project have made it possible, for the first time, to perform Gil’s music in its purest form: directly from his manuscripts. Throughout his research, Ryan discovered over fifty new, never-before-heard Evans compositions and arrangements dating from the 1940s through the 1980s. In celebration of Gil’s 100th birthday in 2012, Truesdell recorded ten of these works which were released on the album Centennial: Newly Discovered Works of Gil Evans. Ryan Truesdell is a composer of diverse musical tastes and influences with a healthy reverence for jazz tradition and an ever-broadening sonic palette. He composes and arranges music for an eclectic variety of ensembles, and his commissions include arrangements for Ingrid Jensen, Frank Kimbrough, and for Bob Brookmeyer’s 80th birthday concert at the Eastman School of Music. He also works closely with Maria Schneider: he was production assistant and co-producer for her albums Concert in the Garden and Sky Blue, respectively.

MATT WILSON’S ARTS & CRAFTS Matt Wilson has released thirteen albums as a leader, appeared on more than 400 others as a sideman and has played with an impressive array of some of the most legendary names in jazz, including Wynton Marsalis, Lee Konitz, Joe Lovano, Pat Metheny, Dewey Redman, Charlie Haden, John Scofield, Joanne Brackeen and Herbie Hancock, just to name a few. Wilson was named 2018 Musician of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association and his album, Honey And Salt (Music Inspired by the Poetry of Carl Sandburg), won the JJA’s Album of the Year Award. That recording and his previous, Beginning of a Memory, accomplished the rare feat of an artist receiving consecutive 5-star (masterpiece) reviews from DownBeat magazine. Wilson’s commitment to jazz goes far beyond his estimable skills as a drummer and bandleader. Also a renowned educator, he is on a tireless mission to foster a lively and deep connection between music and people, whether they be playing or listening to it. To that end, he is extremely passionate about bringing jazz to new audiences and inspiring students to be as individualistic and imaginative as possible.

The Festival has featured Ryan Truesdell’s Gil Evans Project twice before; this year, the group presents a unique program of the music of Birth of the Cool.

FEATURE

PERFORMANCES

KURT ELLING Renowned for his singular combination of robust swing and poetic insight, Grammy-winner Kurt Elling has secured his place among the world’s foremost jazz vocalists. Declared “the standout male vocalist of our time” by The New York Times, Elling has garnered unprecedented accolades, including a fourteen-year run atop the DownBeat Critics Poll, a dozen Grammy nominations, and eight Jazz Journalists Association awards for “Male Singer of the Year.” Elling’s voice is instantly recognizable, embracing listeners with his warm, rich baritone and navigating the full span of his four-octave range as a virtuoso instrumentalist and a compelling storyteller. Whether transforming timeless standards or crafting his own enthralling originals, Elling balances elegant lyricism and technical mastery with wry humor, profound emotional depth, and keen observations into the human condition.

“Elling combines authenticity with stunning originality” is how The Wall Street Journal describes his talents, while The Guardian has called him “a kind of Sinatra with superpowers.” The Toronto Star has gone so far as to say that “Kurt Elling is the closest jazz will ever get to having its own saint," while The Guardian makes up one voice in a chorus that has called him “one of jazz's all-time great vocalists." Taking the long view of Elling’s audacious and richly varied career, The Washington Post lauded, “Since the mid-1990s, no singer in jazz has been as daring, dynamic or interesting as Kurt Elling. With his soaring vocal flights, his edgy lyrics and sense of being on a musical mission, he has come to embody the creative spirit in jazz.” Elling appears on Sunday with the Elmhurst University Jazz Band; we are excited to welcome him for the first time to our Festival.

ARTISTS/ADJUDICATORS DENNIS MACKREL Dennis Mackrel is one of the finest drummers, composers and arrangers working in music today. George Shearing once said, "If I ever have a record date coming up that calls for a drummer and Dennis is not available, I'll postpone the session. He's that good!" In 1983, Dennis joined the Count Basie Orchestra on vocalist Joe Williams’ personal recommendation. After Basie’s death in April 1984, Dennis stayed with the band through the leadership of Eric Dixon, Thad Jones and Frank Foster. Upon returning to New York, he soon became the drummer of choice for many large ensembles including the American Jazz Orchestra, the Carla Bley Big Band, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Buck Clayton's Swing Band and the Dizzy Gillespie All Star Big Band. He also made frequent trips to Europe as a guest conductor, arranger and/or soloist for such outstanding ensembles as the Klüvers Big Band in Aarhus, Denmark, the Danish Radio Big Band in Copenhagen, Denmark and the WDR Big Band in Koln, Germany. In 2010, he returned to the Count Basie Orchestra to serve as its leader and chief conductor until 2013, and in 2015 he was named chief conductor of the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Holland. Dennis is also a highly respected composer and arranger whose commissioned works have been recorded by the United States Military Academy at West Point's Jazz Knights Big Band, the Temple University Jazz Ensemble, the Columbus Jazz Orchestra and, most notably, the McCoy Tyner Big Band whose Grammy-winning albums The Turning Point and Journey included four of Dennis's arrangements. As an educator, Dennis has taught at the Royal Conservatory in Aarhus, Denmark, and he was the Visiting Artist in Jazz Studies at the prestigious Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. He currently teaches at Queens College in Flushing, New York, the Birch Creek Summer Jazz Camp in Egg Harbor, Wisconsin and the Skidmore Jazz Institute in Saratoga Springs, New York. 2021 marks Mackrel’s eighth appearance as guest adjudicator at the Festival.

ARTISTS/ADJUDICATORS DONNY McCASLIN Following a string of critically-acclaimed albums and his work on David Bowie's final recording Blackstar, saxophonist Donny McCaslin returns repeatedly to a specific phrase: "new territory." His newest album, Blow., fully realizes Bowie's influence and McCaslin’s evolved artistic direction. "Before working with him, things like this didn't seem possible to me," McCaslin says of Blow., the most daring work of his twodecade, Grammy-nominated career. "The affirmation of that project and how wonderfully that turned out artistically — I feel like anything is possible now." McCaslin grew up gigging with his father's jazz ensembles in Santa Cruz, California, and eventually attended Boston's esteemed Berklee College of Music. Shortly after, he joined both Gary Burton's quintet and Steps Ahead. He really began to turn heads with his solo work in larger ensembles – first Ken Schaphorst’s big band, and subsequently the acclaimed Maria Schneider Orchestra. We are pleased to welcome McCaslin back for a second appearance as guest adjudicator.

ARTISTS/ADJUDICATORS

TERELL STAFFORD Terell Stafford has been hailed as “one of the great players of our time, a fabulous trumpet player” by piano legend McCoy Tyner. Stafford is recognized as an incredibly gifted and versatile player, combining a deep love of melody with his own brand of spirited and adventurous lyricism. Stafford’s exceptionally expressive and well defined musical talent allows him to dance in and around the rich trumpet tradition of his predecessors while making his own inroads. He has performed with groups including the Benny Golson Sextet, McCoy Tyner Sextet, Kenny Barron Quintet, Jimmy Heath Quintet and Big Band, Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Alumni Band and the Clayton-Hamilton

Jazz Orchestra with Diana Krall. He is the Director of Jazz Studies and Chair of Instrumental Studies at Temple University, founder and band leader of the Terell Stafford Quintet, and Managing and Artistic Director of the Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia. He is renowned in the jazz world as an educator, performer and leader and has received countless award nominations and accolades. A Festival regular with groups including the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Stafford returns this year with Matt Wilson's Arts & Crafts on Friday night and for his first stint as guest adjudicator on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

FESTIVAL

PARTICIPANTS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER

Columbia College of Chicago has been a part of our Festival for many years. Located nearby in downtown Chicago, they are represented this year by a combo and the Fusion Ensemble led by Bill Boris. The combo, led by Scott Hall and Raphael Crawford, is an active participant in festivals and received an Outstanding Performance Award in the 2017 Downbeat Student Music Awards. Host Elmhurst University is represented by two ensembles at the 54th Festival. Elmhurst’s performances begin Saturday afternoon with Doug Beach’s internationallyacclaimed Elmhurst University Jazz Band. The combo, under the direction of the talented Neal Alger, performs on Saturday afternoon. The Jazz Band returns at the close of Sunday’s session to back up our special guest Kurt Elling on the Festival’s final concert. Nearby Harper College returns to the Festival with a big band that will kick off the university group performances on Saturday afternoon. Elmhurst alum Jeff Hedberg is in his second year of leading the group. The groups from Purdue University also have a long history at the Festival, having first appeared in 1979. Purdue is unique in that there are no music majors, but the university maintains a strong tradition of musical excellence with multiple big bands and combos involving over 200 students. The Purdue Jazz Band will perform in the lead off spot on Sunday afternoon under the direction of Mo Trout.

The University of North Texas has a connection with our Festival that dates back 25 years. In 1996 the famed One O’Clock Lab Band made their first guest appearance here under the direction of Neil Slater. They have since made two other appearances on our stage, in 2006 and 2012. This is the first performance for the Two O’Clock Lab Band. They are directed by our good friend Rob Parton, who long time Festival fans will remember from his days teaching at Roosevelt University. Western Michigan University’s award-winning Jazz Orchestra is directed by Scott Cowan. They have appeared at our Festival on numerous occasions, and the ensemble has received international acclaim for its high performance standard and creative approach to big band jazz. They have recorded many albums and performed with many jazz greats. They perform on Saturday afternoon. Whitworth University returns for a second Festival appearance with a Saturday afternoon performance. For their first set here, they made the long trek from Spokane, Washington to perform on our stage. For 2021, the trip was significantly shorter due to our virtual format. The group is led by the talented Dan Keberle. Dan’s son Ryan plays trombone in the Ryan Truesdell concert on Saturday evening.

The groups from University of Kentucky have turned in consistently excellent performances at their numerous Festival appearances over the years. For 2021, they return with their ever-popular ensemble Mega-Sax Quartet on Saturday afternoon, followed by the big band on Sunday afternoon. Both groups are led by the renowned educator Miles Osland.

Elmhurst University uses Gretsch drum sets exclusively.

HISTORY OF PARTICIPANTS Albion College

Harold Washington College Harper College

Moraine Valley Community College

University of Connecticut

American Conservatory of Music Aquinas College

Heartland College

Morehead State University

University of Evansville

Ashland University

Hillsdale College

Morningside College

University of Findlay

Augustana College

Illinois Central College

Morton College

Austin Peay State University

Illinois State University

Murray State University

University of Illinois, ChampaignUrbana

Baldwin-Wallace College

Illinois Wesleyan University

Newberry College

University of Illinois, Chicago

Ball State University

Indiana University, Bloomington

North Park University

University of Indianapolis

Indiana University, South Bend

Northeastern Illinois University

University of Iowa

Indiana-Purdue, Fort Wayne

Northern Illinois University

University of Kentucky

Bradley University

Indiana-Purdue, Indianapolis

Northern Kentucky University

University of Louisville

Butler University

Iowa State University

Northern Michigan University

University of Manitoba

California State University, Long Beach

Jefferson College

Northwestern University

University of Mary

Joliet Junior College

Oakland University

University of Michigan

Judson University

Oakton Community College

University of Minnesota, Morris University of Missouri, Columbia

Case Western Reserve University

Kansas City Kansas Community College

Oberlin Conservatory Ohio Northern University

University of Missouri, Kansas City

Cedarville University

Karlovarsky Repre Band

Ohio State University

University of Missouri, St. Louis

Central College

Kaskaskia College

Ohio University

University of Nebraska

Central Michigan University

Kellogg Community College

Olivet Nazarene University

University of Northern Iowa

Central Missouri State University

Kennedy-King College

Penn State University

University of North Texas

Central State University

Kent State University

Principia College

University of Notre Dame

Chicago Conservatory of Music

Kenyon College

Purdue University

University of South Dakota

Chicago State University

Kirkwood Community College

Quincy University

University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire

Clark Terry Institute of Jazz Studies

Knox College

Rock Valley College

Lake Forest College

Clarke University

Lawrence University

Roosevelt University (Chicago College of Performing Arts)

University of Wisconsin, Green Bay

College of DuPage

Liberty University

Slippery Rock University

University of Wisconsin, Madison

College of Lake County

Lincoln College

South Suburban College

Lincoln Trail Community College

Southeast Missouri State University

University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

Boston College Bowling Green State University

Capital University Carroll College

College of St. Benedict/St. John's University Collin County Community College

Lindenwood University

University of Dayton

University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse

University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh

Southern Illinois University, Carbondale

University of Wisconsin, Parkside

Macalester College

Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville

Malcolm X College

University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point

Southern University

Marian University

St. Mary's University, Minnesota

University of Wisconsin, Whitewater

Marshall University

St. Norbert College

Valdosta State University

Mayville State University

St. Xavier University

Vandercook College of Music

McHenry County College

Taylor University

Waubonsee Community College

McNally Smith College of Music

Texas A&M University-Kingsville

Wayne State University

Memphis State University

Texas Christian University

Western Illinois University

Miami University (Ohio)

Tiffin University

Western Michigan University

Michigan State University

Trevecca Nazarene University

Wheaton College

Millikin University

Triton College

Whitworth University

Mineral Area College

University of Akron

William Penn College

Grand Rapids Community College

Minnesota State University, Mankato

Winona State University

Grand Valley State College

University of Arkansas at Monticello

Missouri Western State College

Grinnell College

University of Calgary

Monmouth College

Wright College

University of Cincinnati

Wright State University

Columbia College Chicago Concordia University Culver-Stockton College DePaul University DePauw University Dordt College Drake University Duquesne University Eastern Illinois University Eastern Michigan University Elgin Community College Elmhurst University Ferris State College Governors State University

Gustavus Adolphus College

Lorain County Community College Loyola University, New Orleans

University of Wisconsin, Platteville

Wisconsin Conservatory of Music

HISTORY OF ARTISTS/ADJUDICATORS & FEATURE PERFORMANCES 2021

2017

2013

2009

2004

1999

Matt Wilson’s Arts & Crafts

Michael Abene

Denis DiBlasio

Wayne Bergeron

Patti Austin

Michael Abene

Dee Dee Bridgewater

Mark Colby

Denis DiBlasio

Dave Douglas Quintet

Denis DiBlasio

Ryan Truesdell’s Gil Evans Project presents Birth of the Cool

Steve Wiest

Michael Davis

Maynard Ferguson & Big Bop Nouveau

Bill Holman Big Band

Bobby Floyd

Bill Holman Band

Orbert Davis

Diana Krall Trio

Pat LaBarbera

Dennis Mackrel

Kurt Elling

Dennis Mackrel

Maria Schneider Orchestra

Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band

Lanny Morgan

Dennis Mackrel

Rufus Reid

Maria Schneider Orchestra Byron Stripling

Phil Markowitz 2008

Donny McCaslin

Bobby Shew

Terell Stafford

Vanguard Jazz Orchestra

2012

Patrick Williams Big Band

Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra

Dennis Mackrel

Jeff Hamilton

Gary Smulyan

Tamir Hendelman

Jiggs Whigham

2020 The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra directed by Scotty Barnhart Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra Bobby Floyd Dennis Mackrel Bobby Shew Gary Smulyan 2019 Michael Davis and the Hip-Bone Big Band John Fedchock New York Big Band Randy Brecker Bill Evans Mike Stern 2018 Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra Maria Schneider Orchestra Sean Jones Jiggs Whigham Matt Wilson

2016 Michael Davis

Christoph Luty

Donny McCaslin

University of North Texas One O’Clock Lab Band with Mark Colby, Denis DiBlasio & Frank Greene

Bob Mintzer Band Ryan Truesdell and the Gil Evans Project Scott Wendholt

2011

Mark Colby

Count Basie Orchestra, directed by Grover Mitchell, featuring Butch Miles

Orbert Davis

Dennis Mackrel

Mark Whitfield

Bob Mintzer Big Band

2007

1997

Bobby Shew

Bob Bowman

Denis DiBlasio

Gary Smulyan

Denis DiBlasio

Mingus Big Band

Matt Harris

Nicholas Payton Howie Smith

Frank Mantooth

Ed Soph

Mark Colby

Bobby Shew

Dennis Mackrel

Matt Wilson’s Arts & Crafts

Ralph Lalama Dennis Mackrel

Vanguard Jazz Orchestra Matt Wilson’s Arts & Crafts

2014 The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra directed by Scotty Barnhart Andy Martin Bobby Shew Gary Smulyan Ryan Truesdell and the Gil Evans Project

2010 Michael Davis Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band Phil Markowitz Gary Smulyan Patrick Williams with Wayne Bergeron, Warren Luening, Tom Scott & Bill Watrous

2006 Matt Harris Joe Lovano Quartet Eric Marienthal University of North Texas One O’Clock Lab Band Vanguard Jazz Orchestra

Nicholas Payton’s Louis Armstrong Celebration Chris Vadala Phil Woods Quintet 2001 Jeremy Davenport John Fedchock’s New York Big Band Matt Harris Pat LaBarbera Clark Terry

Steve Wiest 2000 2005

Dee Dee Bridgewater

Bill Holman Band

Denis DiBlasio

Dave Holland Quintet Steve Houghton

Bob Florence and the Limited Edition

Clay Jenkins

Frank Mantooth

Nicholas Payton Quintet

Byron Stripling

Bob Sheppard

Steve Erquiaga Tim Hagans

Jimmy Heath & the Jimmy Heath Big Band

Byron Stripling

Frank Mantooth

2002

Michael Abene

Sean Jones

Bill Holman Band

Bob Mintzer Big Band

2015

Simone

1998 2003

Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra

John Pizzarelli Quartet

Bill Holman

Bobby Shew

1996 Randy Brecker Ronnie Cuber Kevin Mahogany Frank Mantooth University of North Texas One O’Clock Lab Band 1995 Pete Christlieb Conte Candoli Bob Rummage Clark Terry 1994 Nick Brignola Paul McKee Orbert Davis Frank Mantooth

1993

1990

1985

1980

1975

1971

Tom Garling

Bill Evans

Louie Bellson

Dick Buckley

Jerry Coleman

Dizzy Gillespie

Bud Harner

Art Farmer

Bunky Green

Barret Deems

Joe Daley

Ron Modell

Mike Tomaro

Frank Mantooth

Warren Kime

Milt Jackson

Paul Tolosko

Charles Suber

Frank Mantooth

Don Rader

1974

New York Voices

1979

James Coffin

1970

1992

1989 Denis DiBlasio

1984

Dan Morgenstern

John LaPorta

David Baker

Louie Bellson

Frank Mantooth

Ashley Alexander

Clark Terry

Bobby Shew

Dick Buckley

Paul Tolosko

Rev. George Wiskirchen

Marian McPartland

Conte Candoli

Terry Gibbs

Ernie Wilkins

Pete Christlieb 1988

Terry Gibbs

Pat LaBarbera

Lee Konitz

Roger Schueler

1983

Don Menza

Frank Mantooth

Ed Soph

Pete Christlieb

Dan Morgenstern

Roger Schueler

Clark Terry

Jay Daversa

Kai Winding

Les Hooper

1977

Frank Mantooth 1978

Kelly Sill

1987

Clark Terry

Conte Candoli

1982

Louie Bellson

Uncle Festive

Kelly Sill

Bob Brookmeyer

Dan Morgenstern

Jiggs Whigham

Dick Buckley

1991

1986

Bob Bowker

Steve Houghton

1981

James Coffin

Alan Broadbent

Rob McConnell

Dick Buckley

Paul Tolosko

Gary Foster

Bobby Shew

Bud Harner

Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra

Jamey Aebersold

Clark Terry

1976 Jamey Aebersold

Lee Konitz

Bob Tilles 1973

Denis DiBlasio

Bobby Shew

Howie Smith

Julian “Cannonball” Adderley David Baker Nathan Davis Rich Matteson Rufus Reid Bob Tilles 1972 David Baker Bunky Green Buddy Montgomery

1969 Joe Daley Robert Share Bob Tilles Phil Wilson 1968 Jamey Aebersold David Baker Bob Tilles Phil Wilson

Rufus Reid Cy Touff

Rob McConnell

FESTIVAL MCs

STUDENT MANAGER FRIDA BARAJAS

FESTIVAL STAFF

Your hosts for our 54th Festival include some old and new friends who all share a common interest: a passion for jazz. Joining us for his tenth stint is 90.9 FM WDCB DJ Jay Greene. Jay’s radio show is a tasty treat every Saturday morning with his jazz gumbo of eclectic selections. He gives you a proper start to your weekend; tune him in. Festival regulars are always glad to see Bob Foskett. Bob was one of the student producers of the very first Elmhurst University Jazz Festival. Many folks in the Chicago area associate Bob with jazz radio, and his passion for sharing the music with a wider audience began on Elmhurst University’s radio station, WRSE, where he did jazz shows throughout his college career. In the 1970s he became program director for WBEE, Chicago’s last and longest running all jazz AM radio station. Bob joined WDCB as a volunteer when it was still a part time FM station, and was among the first of the station’s jazz program hosts from 1983 to 1997. Last but not least, expect to see an appearance or two from our fearless leader, Doug Beach, Festival Director and director of Jazz Studies at Elmhurst University.

Since the Festival began in 1968, the student volunteers have been instrumental in creating the successful image it enjoys. It is widely regarded as one of the best-run college festivals in America. No one carries more responsibility throughout the weekend than the student manager, who must command student respect while being popular leaders. Frida, who returns for a second stint as student manager, fulfills this demanding role impressively.

Director Doug Beach

Frida is a senior music education major at Elmhurst University. She participates in Wind Ensemble and multiple saxophone quartets. She works as a freelance private lesson instructor in the Oakbrook area, a sales associate at Quinlan and Fabish and as a marching band instructor for the Lincoln-Way Marching Band. All of us that are involved in the Festival are grateful to Frida for agreeing to return as student manager for a second year.

PERFORMANCE TIME GUIDELINES To accommodate this year’s online event, all participating groups are asked to adhere to set time limits. A big band is allowed 30 minutes, and a combo 20 minutes. In addition to their written comments, our three guest adjudicators will provide live feedback for 10 minutes following each performance.

Assistant Director Mike Pinto Coordinators Barb Vandergrift Chris Parsons Student Manager Frida Barajas MCs Doug Beach Bob Foskett Jay Greene STUDENT SECTION HEADS Sound Nathan Baxter Stage Crew Geo Calawerts Michael Kowalczyk Guest Artist Host Christian Sanchez Public Relations Diego Rodriguez Michael Kowalczyk

IN MEMORIAM MARK COLBY 1949–2020 In the early morning hours of August 31, 2020, Elmhurst University lost a cherished friend. Mark Colby was a jazz studies adjunct faculty member since 1997. His contributions to Elmhurst University and the footprints he has left on this campus will be felt for many years. Mark was recognized internationally as one of the most important voices on the tenor saxophone. He was a recording artist who produced numerous recordings under his own name. For over five years he was the featured tenor saxophone soloist and musical director for the legendary Maynard Ferguson. He was a regular performer with artists such as Frank Sinatra and Doc Severinsen. Producer and jazz pianist extraordinaire Bob James said, “Mark remains one of the favorite musicians I’ve had the chance to work with." A regular presence at the Festival, Mark brought his trademark wit and levity to the stage as MC for many years. He also served as guest artist/adjudicator in 1998, 2004, 2011 and 2012. Beyond all this Mark was a gifted educator. As director of our small jazz ensemble program and professor of jazz saxophone, he was a cornerstone of our jazz program. A tireless recruiter, he was always promoting Elmhurst University. Once a student was at Elmhurst he was always willing to share his gifts and knowledge with them. That sharing might occur in a lesson, but it would also just as readily happen in a casual conversation in the hallway. There were numerous times when Mark would invite one of our students to join him on the stage of the Jazz Showcase. His caring for our students was not limited to the classroom. The void that Mark leaves is not one that is easily filled. In reality it cannot be filled. All of us have been deeply enriched by his presence. And all of us are eternally grateful for the years we have had with him. Rest well dear friend.

JAZZ FESTIVAL