Wednesday, April 07, 2004

By Tiffany Johnson, PR Intern

Wilmington, N.C. – The University of North Carolina at Wilmington Department of Music, in conjunction with the Cape Fear Jazz Appreciation Society, will feature Dean Ripa with the UNCW Big Band and UNCW Jazz Combos at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 15 in Kenan Auditorium. Proceeds from the concert will go to UNCW scholarships. Dean Ripa is a Big Band era singer who performs with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. The UNCW Big Band will be directed by Jerald Shynett, and the UNCW Jazz Combos will be directed by Frank Bongiorno. General admission is $10, but free for UNCW students with a valid I.D. Tickets will be available at Kenan Auditorium box office one hour prior to show time. For more information call the UNCW Department of Music at 910/962-3390.

Over the years the UNCW Jazz Combos have garnered numerous awards at various

jazz festivals including the 1995 Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, as well as a gold award for the best university combo at the 1997 JazzFest U.S.A. (sponsored by Down Beat magazine) held at Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla. The UNCW Big Band performs music that includes swing through bebop styles and modern styles. In addition to their concert schedule, the UNCW Big Band have produced several recordings, including Over the Edge, Portraits of Swing, Travelin' Light and Summation. They have performed at various jazz festivals, including the 1997 Graz Jazz Festival in Austria and the prestigious North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague, Holland.

Jerald Shynett teaches trombone and jazz studies at UNCW. He had an active career as a free-lance trombonist, composer and arranger in South Central Florida. His performance credits include working as a sideman for K.C. and the Sunshine Band, the O’Jays, Ray Charles, Liza Minelli and Steve Lawrence.

Frank Bongiorno, saxophonist, is chair of the UNCW Department of Music where he teaches saxophone and jazz studies. He is an active recitalist, orchestral soloist, jazz artist and clinician throughout the United States and abroad. His publications include numerous recordings, presentations, articles and reviews.

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NOTE TO MEDIA: For additional information, contact Sara White at 910/962-3390, 910/233-1323 or e-mail sarasingergraham@hotmail.com.