The Newsletter of the Central Texas Jazz Society September - October 2009 Volume 2 Number 4

CTJS Sponsors Gala Swinging jazz will warm the fall air October 24 as the Central Texas Jazz Society and the Temple High School Highlighters collaborate on a fundraising gala at Temple's In The Mood

CTJS Announces Fall Scholarship

Winners

Ballroom. CTJS and the Temple High School Highlighters jazz ensemble are co-sponsoring this first annual fundraising gala and dance at In the Mood, 2009 CTJS Fund Raising Chairman Jim Burns announced at the CTJS August 15 annual planning retreat. "Our main objective is to

Scholarship Committee chairman Brent Colwell announced the winners of the fall 2009 CTJS jazz scholarships on Wednesday, September 16. Scholarship winners are - Jeremy Langthorn – Grade 9 – Alto Saxophone - Altin Sencalar – Grade 10 – Trombone - Christian Perez –

Jeremy Langthorn

Inside In The Mood

raise funds to provide scholarships to qualified

Grade 9 – Piano - Ajay Narayanan – Grade 10 – Piano All four scholarship winners are students at Temple High School (reflecting the pool of applicants for fall, all of whom were from the Temple area). Each winner will receive a full ($400) scholarship, which entitles the student to a total of 10 one-hour jazz-based lessons from an instructor chosen by the Central Texas Jazz Society. These will begin in September 2009. Funding for the scholarship program comes from a grant to CTJS by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation. Details on the winners and their instruction programs will be provided in the next issue of

middle and high school age students to further their study of jazz music." said Burns. Music will be provided by a group drawn from the Temple Jazz Orchestra and the Highlighters jazz ensemble. The emphasis will be on dancing to varied big band musical styles. The TJO contingent will be under the direction of Dr. Colin Mason, Temple College, while Temple High School band director Robert Medina will lead the Highlighters. Cactus Jack’s Steakhouse and Saloon will provide a fully catered cash bar with wines, beer, mixed drinks and frozen margaritas. Tickets are $25.00 per couple ($15.00 for individuals) and can be purchased at Von's Music, Johnnie’s Cleaners and the Central

the CTJS Newsletter. Texas Community Arts Center.

Carlton, Weiss Play Waco

Guitarist Larry Carlton

Carlton first recorded in 1968 and soon became busy as a studio musician. He joined the Crusaders in

Waco has two interesting jazz concerts to offer to Central Texas jazz fans in the next few weeks. McLennan Community College will be presenting famed guitarist Larry Carlton and his trio in concert Saturday, September 26. And Baylor University will feature jazz pianist Michael Weiss in concert with the Baylor jazz ensemble Tuesday, October 13. Carlton will appear at MCC’s Bosque River Stage, with tickets on sale at the MCC Box office—$20 for seats, $15 dollars for lawn. Carolyn Wonderland opens the show at 8:00 pm. Weiss will join Baylor’s jazz ensemble at 7:30 in Jones Hall. He will also present a clinic (free and open to everyone) that afternoon from 2-3:30 pm in McCrary Music Building Room 118. Born in 1948 in Torrance California, Carlton was introduced to jazz in junior high school through the Gerald Wilson Big Band with guitarist Joe Pass. He then became interested in Barney Kessel, Wes Montgomery, B.B. King; and John Coltrane.

1971, recording 13 albums with them while continuing to work sessions with stars from every imaginable genre. Rolling Stone called his solo on Steely Dan's Kid Charlemagne one of the three best guitar licks in rock music. In the ’90’s Carlton recorded and toured with Stanley Clarke and friends, guitarist Lee Ritenour and the group Fourplay. Weiss, winner of the 2000 BMI /Thelonious Monk Institute Composers Competition, was born in Dallas and educated at Indiana University. Based in New York City since the early ’80’s, he is known for his long association with saxophonist Johnny Griffin. He has also worked with such jazz legends as Art Farmer, George Coleman, and Jimmy Heath, and is a member of the Vanguard Orchestra.

Meet the Board… Larry Simonette

Dr. Benjamin Irom Dr. Colin Mason

Bill Berning Thomas Fairlie Brent Colwell Greg Bashara

John R. Francis

President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Artistic Director Board of Directors Board of Directors Legal Advisor (Attorney at Law)

Neal Jakubowsky Jim Burns

David Wild Gary Smith

Jesse Ybarbo Johnny Walker

Tim Cates Alex Parker

Board of Directors Board of Directors Board of Directors Board of Directors Board of Directors Board of Directors Board of Directors Board of Directors

CenTex Jazz News is published bimonthly by the Central Texas Jazz Society, PO Box 643, Temple TX 76503-0643. President: Larry Simonette Editor: David Wild (Assisted by Tony Wild)

For more information: www.centexjazz.com www.wildmusic-jazz.com www.baylor.edu/baylorjazz/ www.templejc.edu/dept/Music/Jazz/jazz2008.htm

Notes from the Board familiar to readers of the newsletter for his news reports and photographs of CTJS events and other concerts over the past year. Casey indicated that he will remain a member of CTJS and continue to support CTJS activities in the future. As Larry Simonette indicated to Casey, “On behalf of the CTJS board of directors I want to thank you for your many contributions and excellent participation as one of our fellow board member.”

Jazz on the Horizon…

The CTJS Board of Directors meets once a month; our August meeting was the annual retreat, held at the home of president Larry Simonette. Some items of general interest from these last two meetings: Neal Jakubowsky has been elected to the Central Texas Jazz Society board of directors. Neal is the proprietor of Neal's Reeds & Brass and considered by his peers to have one of the finest horn repair shops in Central Texas. Neal enjoys more than 30 years of trained repair experience plus a yearly volume of more than 1,500 repairs. Neal's shop is located at 2706 Bird Creek Drive in Temple. Before entering the instrument repair business, Neal was a saxophonist in the renowned Air Force jazz band Airmen of Note. Dr. Colin Mason, DMA,has been elected the CTJS secretary. He succeeds Greg Bashara, professional musician of Waco and one of the founders of CTJS who has held this position since CTJS was formed. Colin also one to the founders of CTJS, is Chair of the Department of Performing Arts at Temple College where he teaches the Saxophone Studio, the Temple College Saxophone Quartet, Humanities, and is Lead Alto Saxophonist with the Temple Jazz Orchestra. He is a freelance performer and educator in the Austin area, and has performed across the United States with Indian Tabla Artist Sandip Burman. Past academic appointments he has held include positions as Director of Jazz Studies at The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and Acting Coordinator of Jazz Studies at The University of New Hampshire. At its September meeting the board regretfully accepted the resignation of member Casey Stanislaw. Casey cited increasing personal commitments as the major factor in his decision. Casey is

The Temple Jazz Orchestra will present two concerts this fall. The annual fall concert will be presented in the newly refurbished Mary Alice Marshall Performing Arts Center at Temple College on Saturday, November 7, at 7:30 pm. TJO will perform the following afternoon (November 8) at 4:00 p.m. in the Georgetown High School Performing Arts Center. TJO will be featuring the music of Woody Herman and Buddy Rich. Trombonist John Fedchock will be featured in a concert at Temple College on Saturday, November 21. Fedchock will perform with a small group drawn from the Temple Jazz Orchestra. Fedchock will also present a clinic at Temple that afternoon. The Waco Jazz Orchestra’s fall concert will be Monday, November 30, in the Ball Performing Arts Center at McLennan Community College. Waco Jazz Orchestra will be joined by trumpeter Bobby Shew in concert Saturday, January 16 in the Ball PAC. Shew will give a clinic Friday, January 15, at Baylor University. CTJS is co-sponsoring the Fedchock and Shew concerts.

Road Trip—TJO In Europe

12 Days, 6 Concerts, 4 Countries

band members were itching to get a little practice time in to loosen up their fingers. Word spread to some of TJO that there was a small club in Montmartre hosting a jam session; it was enough to get Lee "Sparky" Thomason, Keith Fiala, Vince Bryce, Tim Cates, Ben Irom and Dave Wild (among others) to trek through the streets of Paris

Dave Wild, Tim Cates jam with the locals in the Cave

Article by Tony Wild. Photos by Stacy Wild and Dave Wild. Editor's Note: Temple Jazz Orchestra spent the first two weeks of July in Europe. Director Tom Fairlie and lead altoist Colin Mason arranged concerts at several major European jazz festivals and packaged a vacation tour around them. Tom managed to secure some funding for the trip through Temple College to help band members foot the bill for the jam-packed two-week trip through four countries. The 21 band members were joined by friends and family, including journalist Tony Wild. His notes on the trip appear below. June 28--After an early morning Sunday bus ride (with Dan Holman, band director at Yoe High School in Cameron, at the wheel), TJO arrived in Austin, took a short flight to Houston and boarded a plane to Paris. June 29--Eight hours later, TJO arrived at Charles DeGaulle Airport and, after negotiating a few minor hiccups and meeting up with Dutch bus driver Cor Labots, drove into the city for a sight-seeing cruise on the Seine River. After the cruise, the TJO wearily headed to the Hotel Mercure in Montmartre to recover from the long flight. June 30--Tuesday started off with a group bus trip around Paris complete with a mandatory photo-op near the Eiffel Tower, courtesy of our tour guide for the morning, Pierre. After the tour, TJO members broke off to explore various parts of the city, home to the Arc de Triomph, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Louvre. At night, a few band members went to a French jazz club to hear saxophonist Greg Osby and pianist Marc Copeland. July 1--Wednesday marked the third and final day in Paris, and by then, some of the

with instruments in tow. The club, Cave à Jazz, was halfway up Montmartre on rue Lepic, and was reached by taking winding stairs into the basement of a French restaurant called Autour de Midi… et minuit. The crew reached the tiny club, and took part in a mainly vocal jam session. The venue and its acoustics proved interesting — it resembled a smoky speak-easy dug into an old cellar. Though the crowd was mostly local, it didn't take long for TJO members to sit in on tunes and get some appreciation for their excellent playing. July 2--After a late-morning start Thursday, the TJO bus made its way toward Lyon, though some forgotten belonging and pesky

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TJO in Europe: The Road Trip (continued from page four)

Paris traffic slowed the commute. TJO arrived at the Hotel Ibis in Lyon, which had room layouts that seemed straight out of an Ikea catalog, and left quickly for Vienne, only to be notified on the road that the gig was canceled because of rain. But later that night, the Jazz a Vienne festival ramped up again, and TJO members toured the charming tiny town and checked out that night's headliner, the Roy Hargrove Band.

TJO onstage at the Beaujolais Festival in Glieze

TJO poses with Marilyn and a classic car, US Mission to UN, Geneva

July 3--The next morning, the band briefly dipped into Switzerland for a stop at the U.S. Mission to the U.N.'s Independence Day celebration. Once into the compound in Geneva, the band played a stellar set, which culminated in the rhythm section accompanying an embassy employee in "What a Wonderful World." Right after the Mission gig, the band headed back into France to play the Beaujolais Wine Festival in Glieze (outside of Lyon). When TJO arrived, a little bit of panic set in. The venue was an empty high school auditorium, and the box dinner of mystery meat, sour beans and rock-hard bread (accompanied by wine in milk carton-like boxes) didn't allay any fears. But once TJO settled into the stands to watch the first band, Le Big Band de l'Ouest, play a swing-laden set to at least 300 people, things loosened up a bit. After the local big band left the stage, TJO took the spotlight and tore up the place, even getting a chance to play two encores. Following the performance, TJO

mingled with the members of the French big band and departed the festival after a reception in which director Fairlie received some lovely French wine. July 4--On Saturday, TJO bid France adieu and ventured back into Switzerland, this time headed for Montreux. After checking into the quaint Hotel de Chailly, TJO made its was to the festival and performed a well-received set with an encore on a hillside next to lovely Lake Montreux and the festival's Miles Davis Hall. After the show, the band toured the many festival booths that dotted the lakeside. July 5--Sunday saw TJO take a boat ride to a lovely chateau, Chateau Chillon. After the tour, the band went back to the hotel to prep for their second set at the Montreux Festival. TJO played another good concert with two encores to many cheers and a particularly enthusiastic swami who insisted on hearing a tune that featured flute (sadly, we couldn't oblige). Then, it was back to the hotel to rest up before the next day's trip to Grindelwald. July 6--Monday, TJO headed out early for Grindelwald, a gorgeous, scenic town in the Swiss-German Alps. Band members filled

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TJO in Europe: The Road Trip

Onstage at Montreux: the Temple Jazz Orchestra

Lunchbreak in Ouchy; Cor’s bus is parked at the curb

Greg Bashara solos with TJO, Montreux

(continued from page five) the day with Gulaschsuppe, hiking and scenery, followed by a great dinner at the Hotel Hirschen. July 7, 8--On Tuesday, the band left for Luzern to spend two days exploring the

charming city. Nestled in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, the town sports lovely Gothic architecture and plenty of good shopping spots. Some band members paid a visit to the famed Wagner museum; others

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TJO in Europe: The Road Trip

A band’s-eye view of the audience, Montreux

Tim Cates plays clean-up; Interlaken Switzerland

(continued from page six) rode the funicular railway to the top of Mount Pilatus. Many TJO band members also spent time talking to locals at the bar and generally having a good time enjoying the city's vibrant night life. July 9--Thursday, TJO headed into Germany to take an afternoon cruise up the Rhine to Boppard, which seemed a pretty and quiet place during our stay, though that might have been because many German people were on holiday. At night, TJO dined at the hotel. As its own special form of entertainment, the meal featured a jovial

pianist who played through ancient pop standards accompanied by a rhythm synthesizer, though there's little doubt he had no idea of the musical talent in his audience. Saxophonist Greg Bashara revealed unexpected skills when he danced to a polka with Colin's wife Anna. July 10--The next day, TJO was off to the Netherlands to hit the most anticipated festival of the trip: The North Sea Jazz Festival. The band pulled into Rotterdam in the early afternoon and unloaded at the Delta Hotel, a modernist complex of glass and steel

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Brent Colwell (by the display window) plays bebop on the alphorn for amazed tourists, Grindelwald

TJO in Europe: The Road Trip

(continued from page seven) that sits on the North Sea's shore front; the high traffic from industrial cargo ships makes it the only hotel in the world that has boater's insurance. From there, the band zipped over to the festival for an early evening performance on the Mississippi stage. Here the band played through several songs before being joined in a surprise guest appearance by Randy Brecker, who performed two of his compositions. After a great set, TJO members sauntered off for a wonderful night of jazz sampling. The festival was large but packed to the brim with the creme de la creme of jazz — musicians such as pianists Cecil Taylor, Hank Jones, the Fred Hirsch quintet, with Ralph Alessi on trumpet; Chris Potter, John Zorn and even B.B. King. July 11--The next morning, still buzzing from the festival, TJO members took Cor's bus to Amsterdam for a day of sight-seeing,

then headed back to Rotterdam for their last night in Europe. July 12--Early the next morning, TJO rode Cor's bus for the last time to Amsterdam's Schipol Airport, and made another marathon flight to Houston and then Austin. From Austin most of the band members took the Temple College bus (again piloted by Dan Holman) back to the college. After such a wonderful and successful jazz trip, Tom hopes that TJO can make it back to Europe in a couple of years, perhaps hitting different countries this time to experience different festivals. And with such an inspiring and successful jazz trip, there's little wonder why. TJO's trip to Europe and to jazz festivals underscored one fact: that an appreciation for jazz no knows language or cultural bounds.

Randy Brecker and Greg Bashara soloing with TJO on Randy’s composition “Sponge”,

North Sea Jazz Festival, Rotterdam, Netherlands