Wednesday Page 18
NOV 11
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7:30 pm
KU Jazz Ensemble I with special guest
SEAN JONES
Sponsored by
trumpet
Casually elegant dining. Memorable meals. Excellent service. Two great locations. After tonight’s show, please stop by TEN restaurant at The Eldridge Hotel or the Bird Dog Bar at The Oread.
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NOV 11 | KU Jazz Ensemble I w/ Sean Jones
Selections will be announced from the stage. There will be no intermission. Sean Jones
For the remarkable composer/trumpeter/educator/activist Sean Jones, the pursuit of jazz is a most serious endeavor. Not just in terms of mastering the art form, but in its fullest meaning and purpose socially, philosophically and spiritually. Deeply influenced by his immersion in Gospel music in the church as a youth, Jones had an epiphany at the age of 19 while he was a student at Youngstown State University. That awakening occurred — as it has for so many serious-minded individuals both inside and outside of music — with his first hearing of the magnificent John Coltrane’s masterpiece A Love Supreme. Always a devout and focused young man, Jones sang and performed as a child in the choir at St. James Church of God in Christ in his hometown of Warren, Ohio. Originally a drummer, he discovered jazz and the trumpet at ten years old upon hearing Miles Davis — specifically Kind of Blue and Amandla. Committing himself seriously to the instrument, the gifted young musician was also fortunate to have studied privately with the eminent teacher and great trumpeter Esotto Pellegrini. Perfecting technique through his studies, Jones was also developing his ears in the longtime jazz tradition of absorbing the artistry of the masters through listening. Five years later, after receiving his master’s degree from Rutgers University (where he studied under the renowned Professor William Fielder, who also taught Wynton Marsalis) Jones had a six-month stint with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Wynton offered Sean a permanent position as lead trumpeter and Jones remained there until 2010, participating in two recordings. During those years, Jones started touring and performing regularly with his own ensembles and began his longtime relationship with Mack Avenue Records, for whom he has just released his seventh recording: im.pro.vise = never before seen. A highly respected and in-demand musician even while at Rutgers, Jones was prominently featured with a number of artists, ranging from the esteemed to the legendary. These included recordings and/or performances with Charles Fambrough, the Fort Apache Band, Joe Lovano, Chico O’Farrill, Illinois Jacquet, Jimmy Heath, Frank Foster, Nancy Wilson, Dianne Reeves, Gerald Wilson and Marcus Miller. The relationship with Miller led to another highly impacting experience when Jones was selected by Miller, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter for their Tribute to Miles tour in 2011. Education is also a major element in Jones’s ongoing activities. Shortly after joining the LJCO he began teaching at Duquesne University in his adopted hometown of Pittsburgh, where until recently, he served as Associate Professor of Jazz. In 2012,
NOV 11 | KU Jazz Ensemble I w/ Sean Jones
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he also became Professor of Trumpet at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Most recently, he has been appointed Chair of the Brass Department at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Despite this intense level of activity, Jones also serves as Artistic Director of both the Pittsburgh and Cleveland Jazz Orchestras, overseeing their annual four concert and six concert series, respectively. His current performance focus is upon the quartet on his latest CD, who have been working together since 2007 – with pianist Orrin Evans, bassist Luques Curtis and drummer Obed Calvaire.
Dan Gailey
Dan Gailey, saxophonist/composer/arranger, is in his 26th year as the Director of Jazz Studies and Professor of Music at the University of Kansas, where he directs Jazz Ensemble I, teaches courses in jazz composition and arranging, produces the annual KU Jazz Festival, and is director of the KU Jazz Workshop. He is the recipient of the 1996 IAJE Gil Evans Fellowship, an annual award which identifies an emerging jazz composer from an international field of candidates. Under his direction, the KU Jazz Studies Program has been the recipient of 22 DownBeat Student Music Awards. Gailey holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Pacific Lutheran University and a Master of Music degree in Theory/Composition from the University of Northern Colorado. His compositions can be heard on numerous professional and college big band albums and are published exclusively through UNC Jazz Press. What Did You Dream?, his debut CD with the Dan Gailey Jazz Orchestra, was released in July 2010 on Origin/OA2 Records and features all original compositions. The CD spent almost two years on the JazzWeek Radio Airplay charts, and received very favorable reviews from JAZZIZ, JazzTimes and Cadence magazines, among others.
KU Jazz Ensemble I
The University of Kansas Jazz Ensemble I, directed by Dan Gailey, is the flagship ensemble within the KU Jazz Studies Program. The program has received 22 DownBeat Student Music Awards, including Jazz Ensemble I’s 2015 award in the Graduate Division for Best College Big Band. In July 2014, the ensemble played eight shows in 11 days as part of a European tour, with dates in France, Germany and Switzerland. The tour included appearances by invitation at two of the world’s most prestigious jazz festivals — the Montreux Jazz Festival, where the band performed twice, and the Jazz À Vienne Festival. The ensemble has also been featured at International Association of Jazz Educators Conferences in New York City, Boston and Atlanta with guest soloists including Dave Liebman, Jim McNeely and Rick Margitza, and guest composer/conductor Maria Schneider. Other major appearances include two recent concerts at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City, including the band’s December 2014 performance with internationally acclaimed vocalist Deborah Brown.
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NOV 11 | KU Jazz Ensemble I w/ Sean Jones
Jazz Ensemble I has had the distinction of performing with such noted guest artists as Toshiko Akiyoshi, Clark Terry, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Steve Wilson, Dave Douglas, Rich Perry, Alex Sipiagin, Louie Bellson, Tim Ries, Peter Erskine, Vince Mendoza, Conrad Herwig, Bob Sheppard, Gary Foster, Steve Houghton, Bob Mintzer, Bobby Shew, Carl Fontana, Dick Oatts, Frank Mantooth, Ingrid Jensen, Dave Pietro, Scott Wendholt, John Fedchock, Bill Watrous, Mavis Rivers and Matt Catingub, Jon Hendricks, Pete Christlieb, Kevin Mahogany, Don Shelton, Marvin Stamm, Paul McKee and many others.
KU Jazz Ensemble I Saxophones: Zak Pischnotte Robbie Harvey Eric Oatts Aaron Barrett David Berrios Trumpets: Michael Raehpour Erik Mahon Daniel Gerona Michael Solomon Trombones: Mark Sweeney Fern Stevermer Jennifer Shinska Grant Morgan Rhythm Section: Peter Marten, guitar Kai Ono, piano Murphy Smith, bass Ryan Lucas, drums