Texas Jazz Educators Association Newsletter...Big Band tunes will be selected from the following:...

Texas Jazz Educators Association Newsletter

Highlighting Jazz Activities in the State of Texas

May 2012

THE

PRESIDENT’S

. MESSAGE Hello TJEA Members,

The semester has flown by and

summer will soon be upon us. We have

much to celebrate in that we have

accomplished one of our biggest initiatives

yet, the permanent establishment of a

selected high school jazz band at the

TMEA Conference. Many thanks go to

Alex Parker for spearheading this

initiative. There are still a number of

issues being discussed and the

conversations at past membership

meetings have been very stimulating. We

encourage you to keep giving us feedback

and opinions.

We hope to see all of you at the next annual

Jazz Symposium. This year’s symposium will take

place at Tarelton State University on June 4, 2012. Our

host will be President –Elect Greg Ball. Greg is

planning an outstanding day of jazz education. Please

make every effort to take advantage of this amazing

opportunity to learn from some of the state’s best jazz

experts.

Again, please spread the word about TJEA and

encourage your colleagues to join. As the organization

grows, we will have a bigger voice and be able to

accomplish even more.

Respectfully,

Tim Ishii

President, TJEA

Interim Assoc. Chair

Director of Jazz Studies/Saxophone

UT Arlington

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Temple HS jazz program……...…..... pp. 2, 3 Booker T. Washington HSPVA..…… pp. 4, 5 Angelina College news…………….……. p. 6 20th Collin Jazz Festival……………….… p. 6 College of the Mainland…………….…... p. 7 Midwestern State University…….………p. 8 Univ. of Houston’s Moores Jazz Festival recap…...……. pp 8, 9

TJEA Newsletter guidelines ….……….. p. 9

Temple High School Highlighters at Lincoln Center. See article and more on page 2.

May 2012 T.J.E.A Newsletter

It takes a village to raise a child… Jazz education collaboration pays big dividends in Temple, TX, submitted by Brent Mathesen

Someone had a vision over 60 years ago that daily

jazz education was an important facet for the

overall development of the young mind. His name

was Durward Howard, director of bands at

Temple high school. He convinced his superiors

way back then of this important issue and to this

day the Temple ISD offers 7 periods of jazz

curriculum on a daily basis throughout their 3

middle schools and 1 high school. Each middle

school campus offers 2 periods of jazz education

and the high school offers 1 period of jazz

education fielding 2 jazz bands and several jazz

combos in their team teaching environment. Their

top jazz band, the Highlighters, and their combo,

WILDCAT Jazz, have garnered national attention

and awards as recently as this past month while

performing at Swing Central Jazz in Savannah, GA

as part of the Savannah Music Festival.

What started out as a dance band, playing all the major social engagements of the day and playing a weekly

Saturday radio show, moved into the lab band setting in the early 70’s when the district began recruiting UNT

graduates to teach in Temple. By this

time the Temple community enjoyed the

success of their high school jazz students

who played gigs at a moments notice.

Fast-forward to 2012 and you’ll continue

to see a strong musical collaboration

within and between the various education

levels, community entities and patrons of

the arts within this small Central Texas

community. Thanks to Tom Fairlie,

Director of the Division of Fine Arts at

Temple College (TC), Dr. Benjamin

Temple HS Highlighters at their clinic with Terrell

Stafford, Jack Wilikins, Leon Anderson, Jeffry Eckels, and

Paul McKee.

Wynton Marsalis responds to questions by a Temple High School vocalist.


Irom, Director of Jazz Studies at Temple College, Larry Simonette, President of the Central Texas Jazz

Society (CTJS) and the band directors of Temple ISD for their daily efforts in engaging, preparing,

motivating, sharing and caring for the next generation of musicians.

The Temple HS Highlighters have recently appeared at and received awards at, Longhorn Jazz Festival at

the University of Texas at Austin, Swing Central Jazz contest (1 of only 12 bands from the US), Temple

College Jazz Festival, Hill Country Jazz Festival, 2011 Essentially Ellington finalist (1 of only 15 bands from

the US & Canada). They were the outstanding band at the Louisiana Regional Essentially Ellington Festival

getting to perform with Wycliffe Gordon at Festival International in Lafayette, LA. In addition, the

WILDCAT Jazz combo performs regularly around Central Texas and in the above-mentioned festivals

garnering the Honorable Mention award for their interpretation of Miles Davis’ tune Dig at Swing Central.

In order to perform at this

level the students work

with a variety of

educators including class

instructors, private lesson

teachers, collaborations

and competition with

other students and

attendance at various

clinics within the area.

That is where Larry

Simonette of the CTJS,

the professors at TC and

the other private teachers

come into play. Over the

past several years the

CTJS has made available

scholarships to students

through an application

process. The students of

Temple ISD have earned

a majority of those scholarships and have gone on to study weekly with the best jazz educators in the area.

These scholarship recipients have been a positive influence in their bands and have acted as role models to the

younger students. They have fared extremely well in UIL and TMEA competitions (Paul Atwood, All-State

trombonist 2011). In addition, their personal achievements have made their combo, jazz band & concert

bands stronger, which, in turn, have attracted national jazz educator/artists to visit and work with the Temple

HS jazz department. These names include Trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, Trumpeter Terrell Stafford, Bassist

Rodney Whitaker and the staff of musicians/educators from Jazz at Lincoln Center and Swing Central.

It has been a joyous, educational and inspirational time in jazz education and performance at Temple high

school. We look forward to the future, enjoy the present and truly believe in the power of the phrase – “it

takes a village to raise a child”.

Temple High School WILDCAT Combo playing in Reynolds Square in Savannah, GA.

Watch for email news about this summer’s TJEA Jazz Symposium

~ and ~

Be sure to attend the TJEA Members’ meeting at TBA in July.


Booker T. Washington High

School for the Performing and

Visual Arts, Dallas

From Dallas, BTWHSPVA jazz program director, Bart

Marantz, reported, “Our new Album, Triple Play,

contains music from our Jazz Combo I, our midi

ensemble and a DVD with a Ken Burns style video of

the wonderful things [our] kids have been doing.”

Master classes this year at BTWHSPVA included Fred Hersch, piano, who gave a master class in September.

Wessell Anderson, saxophone, from the Lincoln Center

Jazz Orchestra presented a master class in February 2012.

Master classes this year at

BTWHSPVA included Fred Hersch,

piano, who gave a master class in

September.

Wessell Anderson, saxophone,

from the Lincoln Center Jazz

Orchestra presented a master

class in February 2012.

…continued, next page….


Booker T. Washington HSPVA’s Combo I performed at the Next Gen Jazz Festival April'12. They were in

the top six in the nation making the national finals. In the "DownBeat Student Music Awards" for 2012 Trio

I won the combo division and the Combo I was runner up in the division for North America!

BTWHSPVA DownBeat 2012 winners

Category: Jazz Group

Performing Arts High School Winners

BTW Jazz Trio I – Bart Marantz - Director

Performing Arts High School Outstanding Performances

BTW Jazz Combo I – Bart Marantz – Director

Category: Vocal Jazz Soloist


BTW HSPVA Elliott Skinner – Kent Ellingson – Director

Category: Vocal Jazz Group


BTW Lab Singers – Kent Ellingson – Director

Category: Blues/Pop/Rock Soloist


Austin Allen, Vibes – Bart Marantz – Director

Category: Blues/Pop/Rock Group


Midi Ensemble – Bart Marantz – Director

TOTAL FOR 2012 One Win

Five Outstanding

Combo I

Trio I

Jazz Education Network in partnership with Berklee College of Music presented the John

LaPorta Jazz Educator of the Year to director Bart Marantz [center below]. The presentation was

made at the third annual JEN conference held in Louisville, Kentucky in January 2012.


Angelina College

Larry Greer, jazz band director at Angelina College announces the Swingin’ Roadrunner Combo and the ACC Big

Band will perform in concert on Tuesday, May 1st, 2012 in Hudgins Hall Auditorium. Featured guest this year is

trombonist Ron Wilkins from San Antonio. http://ronwilkins.net/

Big Band tunes will be selected from the following: I’ve Got Rhythm-Wolpe; Softly as a Morning Sunrise-

Romberg,Rivello; Alone Together-Schwartz/Wolpe; Mambo Hot-Victor Lopez; B Jam Blues-Paul Baker; Ebony Rain-

Paul Baker; That Warm Feeling-Basie/Nestico

AC Jazz Combo will perform Doxy, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, Stolen Moments, Killer Joe, Freddie the Freeloader, and

Samba de Orfeu.

20th Anniversary Collin Jazz Fest a Sold-Out Success!

The 20th Anniversary Collin Jazz Fest was held March 30/31 at Collin College in Plano. The festival was a wonderful

weekend of jazz concerts, clinics and school performances. Nearly 30 bands from Texas and Oklahoma participated in

this year’s festival on 3 stages spaced around the Spring Creek Campus. Adjudicators/clinicians working with the bands

included Greg Ball, Dr. Cara Pollard, Barb Catlin (from Los Angeles), Lorenzo Trujillo (currently touring with the

Dallas Brass), Kevin McNerney and Micah Bell. A “Meet The Artist” session was held for students, which featured

Wayne Bergeron, Clay Jenkins and Kris Berg in an open questions forum.

Two sold out concerts were also part of the

festival. Friday’s Opening Concert featured

the swingin’ Texas Instruments Jazz Band

followed by the CD debut concert for Kris

Berg & The Metroplexity Big Band.

Metroplexity band members included Bruce

Bohnstengel, Sarah Roberts, Pete Gallio,

Brian Clancy, Kevin McNerney, Michael

Burgess, Tim McMillan, Simon Willats,

AG Robeson, Stockton Helbing, Kent

Ellingson, Pete Weise, Ken Edwards,

Lorenzo Trujillo, Micah Bell, Clay

Jenkins and Wayne Bergeron. The band

performed 5 tunes from their new CD, “This

Time/Last Year” along with 3 new tunes.

This marked the first ever performance for

this new recording ensemble. Afterwards

band members were available for

autographing CDs.

Saturday nights Awards Concert had to be moved to Plano East Senior High School due to early demands for ticket

sales. Our thanks to PESH and John Brennan for making that happen. The concert opened with the award-winning

Collin Jazz Lab Band and closed with an encore performance by The Metroplexity Big Band.

Metroplexity finished off its weekend by heading back into the studio to record 3 new tunes for their next CD due out in

2014. “This Time/Last Year” and charts from the CD are available now at www.shop.krisbergjazz.com. Wayne

Bergeron calls the writing “innovative, powerful and sensitive” and Chris Vadala remarked that this “CD is burnin’”.

Thanks to everyone involved in an amazing 20th year of the Collin Jazz Fest.


College of the Mainland News:

The COM Jazz Ensemble along with Trombonist, Ron Wilkins, performed at the Texas City High School

Jazz Festival back on February 18, 2012.

The COM Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combo

participated in the GCIC Jazz Festival held at

Lone Star College – North Harris on March 31,

2012. Three members of the Jazz Combo (photo

at right, l to r) received “Outstanding Musician

Awards” Wesley Moseley – piano, Kim Chavez

– trumpet, and Trent Minter – guitar. In the Jazz

Ensemble “Outstanding Musician Awards” went

to Ed Copeland – tenor saxophone, David Loyd

– baritone saxophone, and the entire trumpet

section was recognized for their performance on

Backrow Politics by Gordon Goodwin, the section

includes: Dean Artall – lead, Ted Williams, Ken

Kirk, Ted Dinklage and Kim Chavez – jazz. The judges at the GCIC Jazz Festival included: C.E. Askew -

former drummer with the USAF Airman of Note, Eddie Lewis and Bobby Guess.

Celebrating Jazz Appreciation Month the COM Jazz Ensemble performed a concert on April 24, 2012 at 8 pm

in the Fine Arts Building Recital Hall on the COM Campus in Texas City. The U.S. Congress passed

legislation which was signed by the President in August 2003, Public Law 108-72, declaring “(1) the

Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History should be commended for establishing a

Jazz Appreciation Month; and (2) musicians, schools, colleges, libraries, concert halls, museums, radio and

television stations, and

other organizations should

develop programs to

explore, perpetuate, and

honor jazz as a national and

world treasure.” COM jazz

director, Sparky Koerner,

commented, “Here at

College of the Mainland

each year I schedule

concerts and a photo

exhibit of Jazz Artist to

follow through with the

celebration that declares

this music a national

treasure.”

Sparky’s Jazz Express

performed at the Texas City Arts Festival on April 14, 2012. The Jazz Express has become a regular at this

event over the years, which include art work from students to professional from the Galveston area.

COM Jazz Combo


Midwestern State University Jazz Ensemble

MSU jazz director, Alan Black, announced the Midwestern State University Jazz Ensemble participated in

the Crescent City Jazz Festival in New Orleans during spring break in March. The group had an opportunity

to perform twice at the festival, once at the festival hotel, and once at the riverboat landing boarding area.

Also included in the trip were a riverboat cruise, where the Dukes of Dixieland entertained the passengers,

and a visit to Preservation Hall, where the Preservation Hall Jazz Band did a great hour-long set.

Recap: 14th Annual University of Houston’s Moores Jazz Festival

The 14th Annual MSM Jazz Festival welcomed several schools from across not only Houston, but the entire south

Texas region, and (as usual) we were impressed by the amount of talent heard during our two-day event. Each year

bands continue to improve their skills along with their competitive spirit. Our judging panel had to spend a LOT of time

deciding the results of each day’s activities. We are truly encouraged and inspired by the abundance of great jazz

ensembles throughout the state of Texas.

Friday evening’s concert featured the Texas Music Festival Jazz Project, Houston’s all-star big band, and Saturday

evening showcased saxophonist Seamus Blake with the MSM Jazz Orchestra. This may seem biased, but both

evening’s performances were superb. Seamus Blake especially delivered on Saturday evening, performing a mix of his

own original music with classic jazz and one standout composition by Vickie Yang. We were very happy to have him

visit and contribute his knowledge in the afternoon clinics, as well. Any fan of jazz will want to take notice of Blake

now as his star continues to rise in the jazz world. He is a fantastic musician who already boasts a distinguished

pedigree and certainly has a promising future.

Thanks to our judges: Joel Fulgham, Johnny Gonzales and Armin Marmolejo for their great work. A HUGE thanks

goes out to each school and band director for attending our festival; it cannot exist without your support and we hope

that both you and your students gained some experience, knowledge and joy from this year’s event.

[Editor: Thanks to Ryan Gabbart, Assistant Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Houston for permission to

reprint this article.]

Festival Awards and Winners:

Outstanding High School of the Festival Spring High School Jazz Band

Outstanding Middle School of the Festival Memorial Middle School Jazz 1 – Harlingen, TX

Outstanding Soloist of the Festival Clayton Farris, HSPVA

Outstanding High School of Friday Katy High School Jazz Band

Outstanding Soloist of Friday Clayton Farris, HSPVA

Outstanding High School of Saturday Harlingen High School Honors Jazz

Outstanding Middle School of Saturday Crosby Middle School

Outstanding Soloist of Saturday Jessica Davis, Harlingen High School

Awards continued, next page….


All-Star Awards

Crosby Middle School, dir. Don Heaselet

Marcel Camacho, Shelby Innmon

Dekaney High School, dir. Trent Cooper & Ramsey

Hampton

Jose Escovedo, Henry Espinoza, Kahlil Pinson

Harlingen High School, dir. Ronnie Rios, Maria

Coronado & Marc Telles

David Dorado, Aaron Gomez, Juan Maldonado,

AJ Padilla, TJ Saenz

Hastings High School, dir. Erich Sonnier & Paul Brodt

Luis Chacon, Emmanuel Otinwa, Salvador Velasco

Hightower High School, dir. Eduardo Tito Hernandez

Ashley Bacon, Davonte Jackson, Lumina Meneres

Houston School for the Performing and Visual Arts, dir.

Warren Sneed

Ben Ackley, Paul Cornish, Jeremy Dorsey, Jeremy

Dritton, James Francis, John Koozin, Blake Opper,

Sterling Overshown, Andrew Sneed, Alex Wheeler

James E. Taylor High School, dir. Bruce Melville

Erik Jaimes, Thomas Zak

Katy High School, dir. Terence Gorton & Andrew Lee

Blake Meynig, Jessica Mortensen, Ryan Wollenberg

Lake Olympia Middle School, dir. Ray Hundl

Sahir Kahn

Memorial Middle School, Harlingen, TX, dir. James

Keltner & Julissa Garcia

Dylan Flores, Alyssa Uribe

Quail Valley Middle School, dir. Kenny Borak

David Young

Pasadena High School, dir. Jacob Faske

Oscar Cruz, Eric Peña

Seven Lakes High School, dir. Geroge Archer &

Jonathan Yoo

David Rebellon, Luis Quintero, Shane Smith, Austin

Snowden

Spring High School, dir. J.D. Guzman

Victor Gonzalez, Theo Meadough, Zach Robinson

Spring Woods High School, dir. Jeffrey Munger

Kyle Guillemette

Waltrip High School, dir. Charlie Stephens & Jesse

Espinoza

Jose Barrios, Mario Derreza, Johnny Olivares,

Christina Peña, Carnell Simmons

TJEA NEWSLETTER ARTICLE SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

The TJEA Newsletter is compiled four times a year, in February, May, August and November. Articles should be sent by email to the editor in a Word formatted attachment. Any photos should be placed in your Word formatted article or at the end of the article. Large files should be separated into smaller attached files.

Email should be sent to the newsletter editor, John Goode, at [email protected].

DEADLINES: January 15 (Feb. Edition) April 15 (May Edition) July 15 (August Edition) October 15 (Nov. Edition)

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