Pacific Vocal Jazz Ensemble
Melissa Fulkerson, director
Friday, November 1, 2024
7:30 pm
Faye Spanos Concert Hall
I Can’t Make Much Sense Out of You (2014)
Peter Sprague (b. 1955)
Count Basie (1904–1984)
Cole Porter (1891–1964)
Those Clouds Are Heavy, You Dig? (1995)
Kurt Elling (b. 1967)
Johnaye Kendrick
Johnny Mandel (1925–2020)
Johnny Mercer (1909–1976)
Harold Arlen (1905–1986)
Johnny Mercer (1909–1976)
Charles Calhoun (1901–1999)
Smack Dab in the Middle (1955) That
Melissa Fulkerson is a lecturer in jazz studies and director of vocal jazz at University of the Pacific. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from California State University, Sacramento (CSUS), where she studied privately with Julia Dollison. Also privately, she studied classical voice with San Francisco Opera member Bill Neely.
During her college years, Fulkerson performed as the lead soprano with the Santa Rosa Junior College Vocal Ensemble alongside such world-class artists as Bennett Friedman, Al Garth, Charles McNeal, and Julia Dollison. At CSUS she has performed in vocal jazz ensembles Vox2, CSUS, and Jazz Singers under the direction of Kerry Marsh. With Fulkerson as the lead soprano, CSUS took first place in the 2008 Reno Jazz Festival.
Fulkerson appeared in DownBeat magazine for winning the Solo Outstanding Performance award in 2010 and for the Large Vocal Ensemble award in 2011 and 2015. She has performed on CSUS’s DownBeat Award-winning album Pale Blue Dot and sang with the Jazz Singers on Ben Folds’s album titled Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella! In 2014 she performed with Ben Folds and the San Francisco Symphony at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco.
In addition to Pacific, Fulkerson has taught various jazz-related subjects at Natomas Charter School, American River College, Sierra College, and CSUS.
Pacific Vocal Jazz Ensemble performs a diverse repertoire that traverses the rich tapestry of jazz history, from swing to ballads and contemporary arrangements. The ensemble constantly pushes the boundaries of vocal jazz, exploring new textures, harmonies, and stylistic interpretations.
Soprano
Ria Patel
Shannon Shepherd
Alto
Shazza Lyons
Zoie Macapanpan
Tenor
Miranda Duarte
Jordan Hendrickson
Bass
Iano Orejana
Austin Nie
Faculty Coaches
Melissa Fulkerson, vocals
Aaron Garner, piano
Brian Kendrick, percussion
Andrew Mell, double bass
Rhythm Section
Joe Evans, drums
Michael Andersen, bass
Joe Mazzaferro, piano*
*faculty member
Jonathan Latta, ensembles program director
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