Tuesday, November 01, 2005

WILMINGTON, N.C. – The UNCW Jazz Guitar Ensemble and Jazz Combo will bring their grooves to Kenan Auditorium at 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10. The Jazz Guitar Ensemble, directed by Bob Russell, and the Jazz Combo, directed by Jerald Shynett, feature many of the top students from the Department of Music.

The program features an eclectic line-up of jazz ensemble pieces, including So What by Miles Davis; D.C. Blues, by Chris Buzzelli; What It Was by New Orleans guitarist Steve Masakowski; Groovin' High by Dizzy Gillespie and arranged by famed guitarist Jack Grassel; John Coltrane’s Like Sonny; and Kinda Cool by Carl Amundsen.

Russell, lecturer in jazz guitar at the Department of Music and co-coordinator of the event, said the groups have worked hard, practiced hard, and are eager to get on stage. All the selections require a tight, well-balanced ensemble and a special ability to improvise, but of special note is What It Was, a piece arranged by Russell, which highlights the sounds and styles of a true “jam band.” “It’s all about creativity and improvisation,” said Russell, “and that’s what great jazz is all about.”

Admission for this event is $5 for the general public and free for UNCW students with a valid ID.

For more information, please contact the UNCW Kenan Auditorium Box Office at (910) 962-3500 or the UNCW Department of Music at (910) 962-7416.

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UNCW Jazz Ensembles consist of both big bands and combos. Over the years the jazz ensembles and its musicians have garnered numerous awards and accolades. Since 1995 some of these awards and honors have included a Down Beat award for “Outstanding College Performance” in the “Jazz Instrumentalist Soloist” category, and a gold award (first place) for the best university combo at JazzFest U.S.A. (sponsored by Down Beat magazine). The UNCW Jazz Ensembles have also been invited to perform at various prestigious jazz festivals, including the Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy, the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Hague, the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, and the Graz Jazz Festival in Austria. In addition to their concert schedule, the UNCW Jazz Ensembles have produced several recordings, including four compact disc recordings (On the Edge, Portraits of Swing, Travelin’ Light, and Summation), a compact disc play-along for Jazz Player magazine, as well as a videotape called Sing Like a Pro. Finally, the UNCW Jazz Ensembles host an annual guest artist jazz festival each spring that provides an opportunity for the ensembles to perform with world-class jazz artists such as Ingrid Jensen, Ralph Bowen, Bob Berg, Marvin Stamm, Rufus Reid, David Baker, Ed Shaughnessy, Chris Vadala, Denis DiBlasio, and Slide Hampton, to name a few.

Robert Russell is a lecturer in jazz guitar. He teaches jazz guitar and class guitar, and directs the UNCW Jazz Guitar Ensemble. In addition to his teaching duties, Russell also supervises the department’s concert recording service. Russell plays guitar with his own jazz group, the Bob Russell Trio, as well as with other Wilmington-area jazz musicians. He also plays guitar in the Cape Fear Jazz Orchestra and the popular local rock group The 360 Degrees. A firm believer in the benefits of a varied musical diet, he also performs on recorders with the UNCW Renaissance Consort. Russell has two CDs currently in release: ...if you never..., released in 2005, and Watch This!, released in 2002. Both CDs are available through CD Baby: http://www.cdbaby.com/all/bobrussell. Russell is a member of the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE), most recently attending their 2004 conference in New York City.

Jerald Shynett teaches trombone and jazz studies at UNCW. He holds the B.M. degree from the University of South Florida and an M.M. degree from the University of Miami. Before coming to UNCW in 1998, Shynett maintained an active career as a free-lance trombonist, composer and arranger in South Central Florida. His performance credits include working as a side-man for K.C. and the Sunshine Band, the O’Jays, Ray Charles, Liza Minelli, Steve Lawrence and Edie Gormet, among others. His compositions and arrangements have been performed throughout the country, most recently with the UNCW Big Band and the Northwestern University Jazz Ensemble.