The Gruuve Masters Blues Band - January 29, 2012
Richard D. Parker Jr. AKA Deacon Blues is now performing with The Gruuve Masters Blues Band.
Richard D. Parker Jr.: News
Comming soon - June 9, 2009
Yuma Fall Jazz & Blues Festival.
Contact:
Yuma Jazz Society Inc.
P.O.Box 6631
Yuma, Arizona 85366
(928) 246-9253
yumajazzsociety@mail.org
Contact:
Yuma Jazz Society Inc.
P.O.Box 6631
Yuma, Arizona 85366
(928) 246-9253
yumajazzsociety@mail.org
The Village Jazz Series - March 31, 2009
UA Ensemble at This Week's Jazz Series
by The Sun (Yuma, Ariz.) - 2009-03-25
By Chris Mcdaniel, The Sun, Yuma, Ariz.
Mar. 25--The University of Arizona's top jazz band, its Studio Jazz Ensemble, will perform Thursday as part of the Village Jazz Series at the Yuma Palms Regional Center
The 6 to 8 p.m. event is free to the public, but event organizers recommend attendees bring their own portable seating.
According to event organizer Steven Hennig, "In its ranks have sat some of the finest young musicians in southern Arizona. The players' names read like a 'who's who' and so does the list of soloists who have starred with the band over the years. The quality has always been high.
"In the 1980s the band was hired to tour with Dizzy Gillespie, a tour that exposed to the students the great teaching expertise that Dizzy had at his command. In 1991, the band recorded an album with the great Billy Taylor Trio.
The UA Studio Jazz Ensemble was founded by Tom Ervin in 1972. Jeff Haskell began conducting the ensemble regularly in 1977, and it is currently under the direction of Moises Paiewonsky.
Paiewonsky said the group covers jazz pieces spanning many decades of artists.
"We cover everything from Count Basie and Thad Jones who played vintage big band music to modern jazz by contemporaries Dave Holland and Brian Lynch. Lynch was actually a guest artist at our annual Jazz Festival in Tucson. We also play original music. My students and I have written numerous works the Jazz Ensemble has premiered."
Paiewonsky said coming to Yuma is good for his students.
"I think it will be a good experience for our students to get off the campus and perform away from home. It will also make for good community outreach and is great for recruiting by improving the visibility of the jazz department."
Paiewonsky says jazz music is one of the most important forms of music there is.
"Jazz is the purest American art form. In my opinion, all commercial forms of music in the United States have been the result of jazz. Therefore jazz is not only artistic and supremely important, but also historically very significant."
According to Hennig, the Village Jazz Series "was scheduled to end with this event, but the popularity of the series prompted its extension by four weeks. Artists performing in April will be Parker's Jazzworks, Jason 7 Elle, Yuma Jazz Company featuring high school standouts and Pete Pancrazi."
This event will be recorded by KAWC-FM for playback Saturday at 2 p.m.
The Village itself is located in front of Harkins Theatres and forms an effective amphitheater. The venue is surrounded by shops and eateries, enhanced with grass, water features and palm trees.
Area merchants also offer "Jazz Night Specials."
The Village Jazz Series runs each Thursday evening through April 23.
-----
To see more of The Sun or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.yumasun.com/.
Copyright (c) 2009, The Sun, Yuma, Ariz.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
About Black Enterprise | Privacy & Legal | Contact Us | Media Kit ©2008 Black Enterprise, All Rights Reserved | Subscribe to Feed Feedback
Click here to
rate this page
by The Sun (Yuma, Ariz.) - 2009-03-25
By Chris Mcdaniel, The Sun, Yuma, Ariz.
Mar. 25--The University of Arizona's top jazz band, its Studio Jazz Ensemble, will perform Thursday as part of the Village Jazz Series at the Yuma Palms Regional Center
The 6 to 8 p.m. event is free to the public, but event organizers recommend attendees bring their own portable seating.
According to event organizer Steven Hennig, "In its ranks have sat some of the finest young musicians in southern Arizona. The players' names read like a 'who's who' and so does the list of soloists who have starred with the band over the years. The quality has always been high.
"In the 1980s the band was hired to tour with Dizzy Gillespie, a tour that exposed to the students the great teaching expertise that Dizzy had at his command. In 1991, the band recorded an album with the great Billy Taylor Trio.
The UA Studio Jazz Ensemble was founded by Tom Ervin in 1972. Jeff Haskell began conducting the ensemble regularly in 1977, and it is currently under the direction of Moises Paiewonsky.
Paiewonsky said the group covers jazz pieces spanning many decades of artists.
"We cover everything from Count Basie and Thad Jones who played vintage big band music to modern jazz by contemporaries Dave Holland and Brian Lynch. Lynch was actually a guest artist at our annual Jazz Festival in Tucson. We also play original music. My students and I have written numerous works the Jazz Ensemble has premiered."
Paiewonsky said coming to Yuma is good for his students.
"I think it will be a good experience for our students to get off the campus and perform away from home. It will also make for good community outreach and is great for recruiting by improving the visibility of the jazz department."
Paiewonsky says jazz music is one of the most important forms of music there is.
"Jazz is the purest American art form. In my opinion, all commercial forms of music in the United States have been the result of jazz. Therefore jazz is not only artistic and supremely important, but also historically very significant."
According to Hennig, the Village Jazz Series "was scheduled to end with this event, but the popularity of the series prompted its extension by four weeks. Artists performing in April will be Parker's Jazzworks, Jason 7 Elle, Yuma Jazz Company featuring high school standouts and Pete Pancrazi."
This event will be recorded by KAWC-FM for playback Saturday at 2 p.m.
The Village itself is located in front of Harkins Theatres and forms an effective amphitheater. The venue is surrounded by shops and eateries, enhanced with grass, water features and palm trees.
Area merchants also offer "Jazz Night Specials."
The Village Jazz Series runs each Thursday evening through April 23.
-----
To see more of The Sun or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.yumasun.com/.
Copyright (c) 2009, The Sun, Yuma, Ariz.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
About Black Enterprise | Privacy & Legal | Contact Us | Media Kit ©2008 Black Enterprise, All Rights Reserved | Subscribe to Feed Feedback
Click here to
rate this page
Comming Soon - January 6, 2009
Wiley Mack Bunn and Richard D. Parker II are collaborating to create a new CD.