The Ann Arbor Public Schools presents the PIONEER JAZZ...

The Ann Arbor Public Schools presents the

PIONEER JAZZ BAND David A. Leach, Conductor

2013 Michigan Music Conference Saturday, January 19, 2013

3:00 p.m. Ambassador Ballroom, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel

Grand Rapids, Michigan

PIONEER JAZZ BAND MMC 2013 PAGE 2

PIONEER JAZZ BAND 2012-13

Saxophone Trombone Trumpet Kevin Tian Zach Sedgwick Enze Xing Austin Stout Eddie Codrington Michael Shapiro Oscar Cojocario

Halley Bass Sam Blackburn William Wang Hyun Won Henry Pakela

Tyler Leach Jesse Lemons Jr. Elliot Polot Katy Ross Josh Sherick Nick Lemerand Levi Brown

Rhythm Section Bass Drums

Adam Olszewski Deondrae Jones Ross Johnson Peter Doyle

Piano Guitar Gabe Novak Aidan Cotner

Vocalist Olivia Roumel


PIONEER JAZZ BAND PIONEER HIGH SCHOOL ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN

David A. Leach, Conductor

CONCERT PROGRAM

MILESTONES................................... MILES DAVIS/ BARDUHN

THEN AND NOW .............................................. STEVE SPIEGL

Adam Unsworth, Horn

A NIGHT IN TUNISIA ................................ DIZZY GILLESPIE

Rodney Whitaker, Bass

BLUE SKIES ................................... IRVING BERLIN/HOLMES

CONCERTO FOR COOTIE ....... DUKE ELLINGTON/BERGER

GRANADA SMOOTHIE .................................... MARK TAYLOR

SKYLARK ................................. HOAGY CARMICHAEL/WOLPE

Jack Wagner, Tenor Saxophone

KO-KO ....................................... DUKE ELLINGTON/BERGER

GEORGIA ON MY MIND .. HOAGY CARMICHAEL/CLAYTON


PROGRAM NOTES MILESTONES................................... MILES DAVIS/ BARDUHN Miles Davis, back from Paris where he had recorded the music to Louis Malle’s film Lift To The Scaffold, added Cannonball Adderley’s alto to his quintet. John Coltrane’s cubist abstractions and Cannonball’s bluesy lyricism offered Miles the contrasts that he was looking for, while his rhythm section of Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones provided the “intensity of a Formula 1 racing car and the comfort of a limousine” for every tempo. With this composition, in which a simple alteration of two harmonic colors replaced the tortuous progression of Bop, Miles had entered the world of modal jazz.

THEN AND NOW .............................................. STEVE SPIEGL Originally written to feature saxophonist Pete Cristlieb, then playing with the Tonight Show Band, it was an almost instant success. Then and Now was also the title track of the successful early 90’s album of the same name. Spiegl hoped to write a piece that was playable for both secondary school and university bands. Since its publication, this unique chart has become a popular selection in the vast Spiegl catalog.

A NIGHT IN TUNISIA ................................ DIZZY GILLESPIE A Night in Tunisia, originally entitled Interlude, is one of the best known and most played jazz tunes and has been for over 60 years. Latin music had a peripheral place in jazz during the Swing Era. In the 40’s a change began, and Gillespie was more than a little responsible. This arrangement was written for Boyd Raeburn’s band with Gillespie featured as guest soloist. Dizzy later played and recorded this arrangement with his own big bands.

BLUE SKIES ................................... IRVING BERLIN/HOLMES Written in 1926 as a last minute addition to the Rodgers & Hart musical Betsy, Blue Skies has become one of the most recognizable and recorded charts in music. Whether set as jazz, contemporary, or country, (Willie Nelson topped the charts in 1978 with his rendition) this familiar and catchy tune is performed throughout the world nightly.

CONCERTO FOR COOTIE ....... DUKE ELLINGTON/BERGER Cited by critics as Ellington’s masterpiece, Concerto for Cootie is a collaboration between Duke and his trumpet star Charles Melvin “Cootie” Williams. Cootie showed his boss the opening eighth-note motif; Duke immediately offered him $75 (equal to Cootie’s weekly salary) for all the rights. From those eight notes, Duke wrote more than three minutes of inspired music perfectly framing Cootie’s playing with the plunger as well as with the open horn.


PROGRAM NOTES GRANADA SMOOTHIE .................................... MARK TAYLOR Featured on Stan Kenton’s album Journey into Capricorn, this memorable Latin classic continues to be a staple for advanced Jazz Bands. For this edition, Taylor spent considerable time completely re-editing, changing horn and rhythm section parts and adding a full score.

SKYLARK ................................. HOAGY CARMICHAEL/WOLPE Carmichael originally wrote the composition that would become Skylark for a musical about his deceased friend Bix Beiderbeck. The melody is said to be based on Beiderbeck solos, at least the phrasing, a claim supported by the composition’s original title Bix Lix. Though the musical did not get produced, Carmichael reworked the composition and passed the melody along to good friend Johnny Mercer who, some months later, called Hoagy and sang him Skylark. It is reported that Carmichael had forgotten he wrote it!

KO-KO ....................................... DUKE ELLINGTON/BERGER Poet and philosopher Eli Siegel defined beauty as “the making of opposites.” Certainly in all great art we learn of the simultaneous one-ness of the universe. Twentieth-century art centers around the primitive and the sophisticated - consider Picasso, Hemingway, and Stravinsky. In Jazz, Ellington’s music best exemplifies this aesthetic, and the singular piece that perhaps captures this relationship better than any other is Ko-Ko. Although Concerto for Cootie and The Mooche are sometimes cited as Ellington’s greatest works, a majority of critics agree on Ko-Ko as Ellington’s supreme masterpiece.

GEORGIA ON MY MIND . HOAGY CARMICHAEL/CLAYTON Written in 1930 by legendary jazz musician Hoagy Carmichael (music) and Stuart Gorrell (lyrics) Georgia On My Mind has been covered my many artists. Gorrell originally wrote the lyrics for Hoagy’s sister, Georgia Carmichael, however the lyrics of the song are ambiguous enough to refer to either to the state or a women. It was not until Ray Charles' 1960 recording on The Genius Hits the Road that the song became a major hit. On March 7, 1979, as a mutual symbol of reconciliation after conflict over civil rights issues, Charles performed it for the Georgia state legislature. After this performance, the connection to the state was firmly made, and then the George State Assembly adopted it as the state song on the following month on April 24.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Genius_Hits_the_Road

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_rights


DAVID A. LEACH, Director David A. Leach has been Director of Bands at Ann Arbor Pioneer High School since 2002. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Music Education at Eastern Michigan University, where he studied conducting with Professor Russell Reed and Dr. Max Plank. He began his teaching career at Ypsilanti High School in 1988 and spent fourteen years there

before coming to Ann Arbor. He was appointed Chair of the Pioneer High School Music Department in 2006.

Leach sustains the long tradition of quality performance and repertoire in the Pioneer Bands. During his ten years at Pioneer, his Symphony and Concert Bands have received consistent top ratings at district and national festivals. His Symphony, Concert, and Jazz Bands have won overall festival championships at every national event entered. Leach wrote curriculum for and introduced the Ninth Grade Jazz Lab, increased student numbers, and enhanced his students’ personal success in music with a high percentage of his graduates going on to study for careers in music education and performance. Under his baton, the Pioneer Symphony Band has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Mid-Europe Music Festival in Schladming Austria, and performed on tour in China.

Leach has served on the executive board of MSBOA’s District XII as Secretary and Vice-President of Adjudication, and has been an active member since 1988. He is a member of MENC, ASBDA and the National Association for Music Education. He has been included five times in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. The University of Michigan chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia honored him in 2000 with the Pendleton Memorial Award for outstanding achievement in music education. He has been nominated four times for Disney’s American Teacher Award. Leach has received honors from the United States Marine Corps for sending his students to the Marine bands, including two to the Commandant’s Own Marine Band in Washington, D.C. He was the 2006-07 MSBOA District XII Band Teacher of the Year. He has won the praise of international composers such as Michael Daugherty, Thomas Duffy, Alfred Reed, John W. Stout, Jan Van der Roost and others for his insightful conducting of their compositions. He studies conducting with U-M Director of Bands Michael Haithcock and Maestro Michael Adleson, and recently attended the 2012 EMU Wind Conducting Symposium.

David A. Leach is a proud member of the Pioneer High School Music Department which has earned GRAMMY Signature School honors during his tenure at Pioneer High School. In 2002 and 2003, the department placed in the top 40 schools in the nation. In 2004 and 2005, the department achieved GRAMMY Signature School Gold status as one of the top seven public high school music programs in the nation. In 2006 and 2011 the Pioneer Music Department was named the National GRAMMY Signature School as the number one public high school music program in the nation; the only program ever honored twice by the GRAMMY Foundation.


ADAM UNSWORTH, GUEST SOLOIST

Soloist and recording artist Adam Unsworth is Associate Professor of Horn at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He is currently anticipating the release of two new recordings, Balance, a jazz recording for horn and chamber orchestra, and Snapshots, a compilation of previously unrecorded music for horn,

much of which Adam commissioned since starting at Michigan 2007.

In 2006 Adam released his first jazz CD entitled Excerpt This!, which received critical acclaim from jazz and classical horn reviewers alike. Since then he has completed a second jazz CD, Next Step, and contemporary music CD, Just Follow Instructions, a recording of the chamber music of crossover saxophonist/composer Daniel Schnyder. In April 2010 the University of Michigan Symphony Band featured Adam as a soloist on the premiere recording of Dana Wilson’s Concerto for Horn and Wind Ensemble. He appeared as soloist on this piece with the Aurora Wind Orchestra in Funabashi City, Japan in February 2011. Adam plays and has recorded with the Gil Evans Centennial project in New York City and regularly performs with the Slee Sinfonietta, a new music group out of the University of Buffalo. Prior to his appointment at the University of Michigan, he was

Fourth Horn of The Philadelphia Orchestra (1998--‐2007) and Second

Horn of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (1995--‐1998). He has performed as a guest with the St. Louis, San Francisco, Pittsburgh and Chicago symphonies.

A former faculty member at Temple University, Adam has appeared as a recitalist and clinician at many universities throughout the United States, and has made several solo and chamber appearances at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall. Unsworth received his formal training at Northwestern University, where he studied with former Chicago Symphony Orchestra members Gail Williams and Norman Schweikert. He continued with graduate work at the University of

Wisconsin--‐Madison with Douglas Hill.

He later recorded Jazz Set for Solo Horn, released in 2001 as part of 'Thoughtful Wanderings', a compilation of Hill's works for horn.

The University of Wisconsin--‐Madison School of Music named him their Distinguished Alumnus Of the Year in 2000.


JACK WAGNER, GUEST SOLOIST

Jazz saxophonist, educator, and author Jack Wagner grew up in Enfield, Connecticut. He received his B.M. Degree in Jazz Studies and Performance from William Paterson University and his Master’s Degree and Teaching Certification from Ithaca College. Mr. Wagner studied with Steve Wilson, Gary Smulyan, Jerry Bergonzi, Rufus Reid, John Riley, Steve Turre, David Berger, Conrad Herwig, Steven Mauk, Harold Mabern, Todd Coolman, Dave Demsey, Steve Brown, Mariann Ploger, and Kenny Burrell.

Mr. Wagner has played and toured the United States, Europe, and Mexico. He has performed with Michael Brecker, Joe Williams, Hamiett Bluiett, Bill Mays, Brian Lynch, Muhal Richard Abrams, Stephen Riley, Jane Ira Bloom, Mark Shim, Steve Houghton, and Carl Fontana. He had the honor of playing with Joe Salzano and the Blue Devils for the New Millennium International Swing Dance Festival in Ensenada, Mexico. This festival brought in the year 2000 with hundreds of the finest dancers from all over the world, including Frankie Manning, one of the original founders of the Lindy Hop from Harlem’s Savoy Ballroom in the 1930s.

A devoted educator, Mr. Wagner taught public and private school bands in New York State for five years and then became the Jazz Studies Director at the Ann Arbor School for the Performing Arts (AASPA) in Ann Arbor, Michigan, from 2002-2008. Mr. Wagner’s AASPA combo, the 6 O’Clock Jazz Combo, won “Best Performing Arts High School Jazz Group” in the prestigious international 2006 Downbeat Magazine’s Student Music Awards contest. Mr. Wagner’s private student also won “Best Jazz Soloist” in the same Downbeat competition.

Mr. Wagner now serves as the Jazz Program Director of Ann Arbor Community High School, where he was hired in 2008. Mr. Wagner directs 10 high school jazz combos at Community, focusing on small-group jazz and improvisation. He has begun the Community High Jazz Guest Artist Series, which has hosted such musical luminaries as Victor Wooten, Hal Galper, Rodney Whitaker, Randy Napoleon and Han Bennink. Community has won numerous awards, including the 2010 Downbeat Magazine’s “Outstanding High School Jazz Group.” Community High’s most recent CD release is Jazzspring 2010. Mr. Wagner recently authored the jazz instruction book The Straight Ahead Toolshed.


RODNEY WHITAKER, GUEST SOLOIST

Rodney Whitaker is one of the world’s renowned double bass performers, educators and mentors, and dedicated to inspiring and growing the next generation of jazz educators and musicians.

A Detroit native, he grew up soaking in the sounds of jazz and classical music and working with the finest

musicians in the city. Building on his Detroit roots and enormous talent, he earned an international reputation as one of the world’s finest jazz double bass performers. He completed a seven-year tenure as bassist with the Wynton Marsalis’ Sextet, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and has toured the world over the last twenty-six years, collaborating with over 100+ legendary performing jazz artists such as Dianne Reeves, Hank Jones, Mulgrew Miller, Kenny Burrell, Diana Krall, Kathleen Battle, Marian McPartland, Wycliffe Gordon, Kenny Garrett, Bradford Marsalis, Bob James, Roy Hargrove, Jon Carl Hendricks, Tommy Flanagan, Frank Morgan, Terence Blanchard, Betty “Be-Bop” Carter, Chick Corea, and leading symphony orchestras across the world—just to name a few. He has appeared and presented master classes at the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) conferences.

His work is featured on more than 100 recordings. His film scores, China, directed by Jeff Wray, was released on PBS Fall 2002 and Malaria and Malawi, released on PBS in 2010. Whitaker has a DVD release featuring Michigan State University’s Jazz Department entitled, Inside Jazz and three new compact discs entitled, Get Ready and Work To Do—both on Mack Avenue Records and Better Than Alright by Michigan State University.

In 2011, he was nominated for an EMMY for the ‘Original Music’ category for Malawi and Malaria: Fighting to Save the Children produced by Robert Gould and Sue Carter.

Whitaker collaborated with musicians Phil Dwyer and Alan Jones on Let Me Tell You About My Day, produced by Alma Records and was nominated for a Juno Award in 2006 for Traditional Jazz Album of the Year, Canada's equivalent to the United State of America’s Grammy. He is a full professor of jazz double bass and director of jazz studies at Michigan State University where he has built one of the leading jazz degree granting programs offering both a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Jazz Performance.


THE PIONEER BANDS

Excellence is the hallmark of the Pioneer Bands

program. As part of the 17,000-student Ann Arbor

Public School District and the only high school music

department which has twice been named the National GRAMMY Signature

School as the best public high school music program in the United States,

today’s Pioneer Bands are just one example of the diverse academic,

athletic, and performing arts opportunities at one of Michigan’s highly

regarded comprehensive high schools. Pioneer High School musicians are

consistently numbered among the best in state solo and ensemble

competitions and are regularly chosen to appear at state, national and

international honor festivals and competitions.

2012-13 marks the 99th Anniversary Season of the Ann Arbor Pioneer

High School Bands. Tens of thousands of students have participated in the

Pioneer Bands program for nearly a century, providing memorable concert

performances, achieving the highest accolades, performing across the USA

and across the world, and providing themselves with wonderful memories

and life-changing experiences. In 2006, under the baton of Director of

Bands David A. Leach, the Pioneer Concert Band took the top prizes at the

International Festival of Music event in Toronto, Canada. The Pioneer

Symphony Band appeared at the 2006 Mid-Europe Music Festival in

Schladming, Austria as the only North American High School ensemble

invited to perform. In 2010, the Symphony Band and Jazz Band toured

China. In 2011, the Symphony Band performed in Carnegie Hall. In 2011

the Jazz Band was featured at the Detroit International Jazz Festival.


OFFICE OF THE INTERIM PRINCIPAL

PIONEER HIGH SCHOOL

601 WEST STADIUM BOULEVARD

ANN ARBOR, MI 48103

GREETINGS

KEVIN HUDSON, INTERIM PRINCIPAL, PIONEER HIGH SCHOOL

“It is with great honor that I announce the first appearance of the Ann

Arbor Pioneer High School Jazz Band at the Michigan Music Conference.

“Pioneer High School is honored to showcase the collective talents of these

fine student musicians under the expert guidance of Director of Bands Mr.

David A. Leach.

To perform at this level requires a substantial commitment and dedication

to the art of music. The exemplary leadership shown by every one of our

GRAMMY-winning Department of Music faculty allows our young

musicians at Pioneer High School to aspire to the highest standard and

instills the desire to perform at their best. The entire Pioneer community

applauds the Pioneer Department of Music for their accomplishments.”


GREETINGS

ROBIN BAILEY, FINE ARTS COORDINATOR, ANN ARBOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS

“The Music Department of the Ann Arbor Public Schools has a long

and distinguished reputation for excellence, as well as a strong

commitment to music education. Students, K-12, have various

opportunities to build musical skills through experiences in singing,

playing, analyzing, creating and listening. In a world that demands

new solutions to difficult problems, this study of music gives

students skills to look at a variety of solutions to a single problem,

explore new approaches and focus intently on a challenging task.

We are fortunate in Ann Arbor to have talented and skilled music

educators of the finest quality, K-12; engaged and motivated students

committed to the learning process; and a community,

Superintendent, and school board who provide strong support for a

rich program of instruction and performance.

We are pleased and proud that the Pioneer Jazz Band, under the

direction of David A. Leach, will represent the excellence in the Ann

Arbor Public Schools, through their performance at the Michigan

Music Conference.”


GREETINGS PATRICIA P. GREEN, PH.D., SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS

“It is with great pride that I introduce the Pioneer Jazz Band from

Ann Arbor Pioneer High School. This exceptional ensemble is under

the direction of Mr. David A. Leach and they have all worked

diligently to achieve the high level of mastery that led to their being

selected to perform at the Michigan Music Conference.

The Ann Arbor Public Schools has a long tradition of providing

music and arts education to our students, at all grade levels, as part of

the curriculum. Our students begin receiving instrumental music

instruction in grade 5 and are able to continue their study through

high school. The students performing for you today represent a

community that values music and arts education and works very hard

to provide opportunities for students to participate in the fine and

performing arts and to be creative and innovative through artistic

expression.

Thank you all for organizing an event that highlights the importance

of music and music education to our culture and for providing a

venue for our students to showcase their talents and perform with

other exceptional musicians. I am confident that the Pioneer Jazz

Band will represent our community and our school district beautifully

and that you will enjoy their performance immensely.”


SPECIAL THANKS TO: ADAM UNSWORTH, JACK WAGNER, RODNEY WHITAKER, SEAN

DOBBINS, and the MSU JAZZ ORCHESTRA I BE-BOP SPARTANS

for their expertise in preparing the Pioneer Jazz Band for today’s performance at the Michigan Music Conference.

PIONEER HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC

DAVID A. LEACH, Department Chair & Director of Bands NANCY WARING, Associate Director of Bands, Associate Director of Orchestras, Music Theory & Technology JONATHAN GLAWE, Director of Orchestras, Guitar STEVEN LORENZ, Director of Choirs, AP Music Theory ROCHELLE MARTINEZ, Piano and Guitar

PIONEER BAND ASSOCIATION

MARIANNE BLAESING, President DAVID BAUM, Vice President KATHY SHIPAN, Vice President BILL & JAN MAXBAUER, Secretaries STEVE AND SUSAN MIHANS, Treasurers GLORIA WILSON, Past President

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