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Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combos |
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THE ALABAMA JAZZ ENSEMBLE
MUA 159/359/559
TUESDAY & THURSDAY – 12:30-1:45 PM
Directed by Chris Kozak. The UA Jazz Ensemble provides a professional atmosphere for students interested in the many aspects of jazz. This award winning group has performed at numerous jazz festivals, including: Notre Dame Collegiate Jazz Festival, Mobile Jazz Festival, Wichita Jazz Festival to name a few and performs throughout the region in schools and conferences. Its repertoire covers musical styles from the 1940s to contemporary arrangements, including those written and arranged by students. This group is the nucleus for the Hilaritas ensemble. The Jazz Ensemble is open by audition to any student, regardless of major.
THE ALABAMA JAZZ STANDARDS COMBO
MUA 367/567-003
MONDAY & WEDNESDAY – 12:00-1:30
Directed by Tom Wolfe. This group is an off-shoot of the Jazz Ensemble. Each spring semester, this ensemble performs a lecture concert focusing on music from the jazz repertoire that is not as familiar as the standard repertoire. Performing several times during the semester, this group is frequently called upon to perform at specific academic and social events for the University.
THE ALABAMA JAZZ BAND & COMBOS
MUA 159/359/559-001
TUESDAY & THURSDAY 2:00-3:30
MUA 159/359/559-002
MONDAY & WEDNESDAY –2:00-3:30
Directed by Mark Lanter and Chris Kozak, these groups offer the students the opportunity to develop their improvisation skills and learn basic jazz repertoire and jazz performance practices. The Jazz Combos and Jazz Band are open by audition to any student, regardless of major.
Tom Wolfe is Associate Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts and Professor of Jazz Studies at the University of Alabama, and a former Leadership Board Faculty Fellow (03-06). Wolfe has had the opportunity to perform with some of the most respected jazz musicians of the day. Most recently, he teamed up with guitar-legend Gene Bertoncini to release Floating on the Silence on Summit Records. It has met with wide critical acclaim; “…it is some of the best guitar work to appear during 2007.” (Peter Westbrook, jazzreview.com). Wolfe has served as faculty and performing artist at the Romanian Jazz Education Summit in Timisoara, Romania. This summit was hosted by Tibiscus University and sponsored by the International Association for Jazz Education and the Fulbright Commission. Wolfe is also a recipient of an Artist Fellowship from the Alabama State Council on the Arts. He is the first jazz musician to receive this honor. In 1998 Wolfe was appointed a Kennedy Center/USIA Jazz Ambassador. Wolfe toured several countries of North and West Africa under the auspices of this prestigious program, including a performance at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. Wolfe has performed and/or recorded with Lew Soloff, Gene Bertoncini, Lou Marini, Mundelle Lowe, Bill Goodwin, Frank Vignola, Harvie S, Ken Watters, Bill Huntington, Victor Atkins, Hilary Jones, Oteil Burbridge, Charli Persip, Jamie Aebersold, Bob Hope, Englebert Humperdink, Rosemary Clooney, Rose Marie, Chita Rivera, Jerry Van Dyke, Guy Lombardo Orchestra, Lawrence Welk Orchestra, and many others. Commissions include the Band of the U.S. Air Force Reserve Jazz Band and other universities in the U.S. He also recently contributed music to the Ellen Degeneres TBS Special, “Ellen’s Really Big Show.” Wolfe has also performed throughout the U.S., El Salvador, France and an upcoming tour in Italy and return to Romania. Wolfe serves as clinician and adjudicator at college and high school festivals and jazz camps throughout the region.
Chris Kozak holds both a M.M. in Jazz Arranging and Composition and a B.M. in African-American Jazz Studies in Double Bass Performance from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, MA. While at UMASS he has studied Jazz Composing and Arranging with Jeff Holmes and Double Bass with renowned Double Bassist and composer Salvatore Macchia. He also studied advanced Improvisation Techniques with saxophonist Chris Merz and multi-reeds artist Adam Kolker. Professor Kozak was also a composition student of Yusef Lateef and his methods of Autophysiopsyhic Music.
Previously, Professor Kozak was an active performer in the Northeast music scene on the Acoustic and Electric Bass in Jazz, Contemporary, and Popular styles. He has performed with Greg Abate, James Argiro, Victor Atkins, Jamie Baum, Warren Chiasson, the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, the Guy Lombardo Orchestra, Kathy Kosins, Peter Erskine, John Fedchock, Giacamo Gates, David Goloshokin, Jeff Holmes, Steve Houghton, Marlon Jordan, Adam Kolker, Yusef Lateef, Virginia Mayhew, Dick Oatts, Sal Spiccola, and Rob Zappulla.
He was a Downbeat Jazz Award recipient in 2000, 2001, and 2002 with the UMASS Studio Orchestra on Double Bass. He is a former Faculty member of Springfield College and a member of the IAJE. Chris continues to be active as a clinician and adjudicator throughout the region.
This past year involved a tour of Colombia, South America (Medellin, Manizales, and Seville de Valle) with his Quartet and assuming the position of Director of Jazz Studies and Director of the University of Alabama Jazz Ensemble. This past summer he was integral in developing and directing a Jazz Camp for the Centro Colombo Americano Promising Artist’s of the 21st Century Cultural exchange series sponsored by UA and the U.S. Embassy in Medellin and Manizales Colombia.
Mark Lanter, MM has been performing professionally since the age of 14, Mark Lanter has maintained a busy and varied musical career. As one of the top drummists in the southeastern region, he continues a steady schedule of performance and teaching. His first recordings appeared while in high school with Trans Improvisation artists Davey Williams and LaDonna Smith. Pataphisical Reveue (Alcohol Records) and From the One That Cut You have maintained a steady cult following since the late 1970s. While attending the University of Alabama he traveled and recorded with numerous regional acts including legendary Muscle Shoals recording artist Tippy Armstrong. In the years that followed, Lanter has performed and/or recorded with such notables including Michael Hedges, Mose Alison, Eric Essix (Nova Records), Vova Nova (Chameleon Records), Mundel Lowe, Giacomo Gates, Boots Randolph, James Peterson, Willi King, Big Bo and Little Whit, Ken Watters, Topper Price and the Upsetters, Otiel Burbridge, Chuck Redd, Marlon Jordan, Stephanie Jordan, Rachel Jordan, Kent Jordan, Ed Miller, Brian McNeill, and many others. Most recent recordings include Tom Wolfe, Simple Peace, 2001 and regional independent artists Downright, Downright, 2001, and Hidden Agenda, 2003, Henri’s Notions, Trip To The Cottage, 2007, and Right Action Figures,2008. He currently resides in Birmingham, Alabama performing with Henri’s Notions, the UA Jazz Faculty, and his own groups Mark Lanter Review, Right Action Figures, and Bonus Round while teaching private lessons and Jazz Studies at the University of Alabama.
THE ALABAMA JAZZ ENSEMBLE/JAZZ COMBOS
Auditions for Fall Semester 2008 will be held on August 18,19 & 20. The specific dates and times for each group of instruments are listed below.
Please fill out, print and bring the AUDITION INFORMATION FORM (available here as an editable pdf file)to your audition.
Tuesday, August 19
Concert Hall - Moody Music Building
2:35 p.m. Trombones
5:15 p.m. Trumpets
Wednesday, August 20
Room 201 – Moody Music Building
11:00-1:00 All rhythm players (Piano, Bass, Guitar, Drum Set)
**Any Brass or Woodwind players that would like to audition specifically for Jazz Ensemble/Band/Combos that have not already done so can choose to come at this time. Please contact Chris Kozak in advance if you plan to do so. All above audition criteria will still apply.**
CONCERT DATES
Thursday, October 23 Jazz Ensemble w/ Guest Artist
Tuesday, November 11 Jazz Band/Combo Concert
Tuesday, November 18 Jazz Standards Combo Concert
Friday, December 5 Hilaritas
Sunday, December 7 Hilaritas
Thursday, March 5 Chamber Jazz Concert featuring the UA Jazz Ensemble
Thursday, April 9 14th Annual Jazz Ensemble Tribute Concert
Tuesday, April 14 Jazz Standards/Combo Concert
Monday, April 27 Jazz Ensemble at the Ferguson Center
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