Vol. 1, No.

Fall 2013

Evangel University
Jazz Studies Insider

The Beginning of the Fall Semester

A Busy Year Ahead!
Welcome, to the first ever Evangel University Jazz Insider Newsletter. This newsletter will keep you up to date on everything EU Jazz Studies. From course offerings, performances, jazz festivals, guest artists and special events, this is where you will hear it first. As we approach the beginning of the 20132014 academic year, I am happy to report that this year promises to be the busiest yet. I hope that this newsletter will serve to keep you on top of all that is going on! Musically, Joel Griffin Maecenas at lorem viverra orci mollis

Contact Us
Follow EU Jazz Studies on Twitter: @EUJazzStudies Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/EvangelUniversi tyJazzStudies Phone: 417.865.2815 ext. 7839 GRIFFINJ@EVANGEL.EDU

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Fall 2013

EU Jazz Orchestra to Perform at The 23rd Temple Jazz Festival

For the first time since its official inception in 1996, the EU Jazz Orchestra will be performing at a collegiate jazz festival. In March of 2014, the jazz orchestra will travel to Temple, TX to participate in the 23rd Annual Temple Jazz Festival, held on the campus of Temple College. Watrous, Marvin Stamm, Bob Mintzer, Ernie Watts, Gordon Goodwin and John Fedchock, just to name a few. This years final concert will feature the Temple Jazz Orchestra with special guest, Wayne Bergeron. Along with the weekend jazz festival, the EU Jazz Orchestra will be playing at area high schools in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, as well as performing a joint concert with the Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) Jazz Band. This concert will be held in the newly constructed Hagee World Communications Performing Arts Hall on the campus of SAGU.

Cat of the Month

Desiree Bonitz
Desiree Bonitz is a junior piano performance major from York, Pennsylvania Desiree is heavily involved with the jazz studies program at EU playing in the EU Jazz Orchestra and EU Jazz Collective. Recently, she performed with the Joel Griffin Quartet, fronted by EUs Director of Jazz Studies. Desiree is a wellrounded musician, not only as both a classical and jazz pianist, but also plays violin in the University Orchestra.

The Temple Jazz Festival, in its 23rd year, is an entertaining and educational weekend of outstanding jazz that will bring together hundreds of college and high school musicians for clinics, competitions and great performances. The list of guest artists who have headlined the festival reads like a whos who in jazz; Bill

New Jazz Studies Course To be offered Summer 2014

The Evangel Music Department and Jazz Studies Area are pleased to announce an addition to the course offerings in Jazz Studies. MUSC 114, Jazz Appreciation, will be offered in the summer 2014 session. The course is designed to aid music students (Music Education, Performance, Worship Leadership, and Bachelor of Arts or Science in Music Majors) in becoming better acquainted with the musical characteristics, techniques, instrumentation, styles, terms and methods of the jazz tradition. The course will have some mass appeal to the student body as a whole in that the course may also be used for a portion of the humanities requirement of Frameworks. For more information, please contact the Music Department.
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Fall 2013

EU Jazz Collective
Concert November 5th, 7:30 PM
The EU Jazz Collective will give its first ever fall concert. The EU Jazz Collective was formed in Spring 2013 by director of jazz studies Joel Griffin. Jazz isnt just about the large ensembles Griffin says. Jazz, like classical music, has chamber ensembles. This is also a great opportunity for students to perform more improvisation based music, as improvisation is the essence of jazz. This isnt the first concert given by the jazz collective. In the Spring 2013, the EU Jazz Collective and EU Jazz Trio performed in concert with the Spring13 Guest Artist, saxophonist, Wesley Smith. The EU Jazz Collective plays mostly jazz standards with selection for this concert to
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include Bye, Bye Blackbird, Doxy, On Green Dolphine Street, Just Friends and others. The EU Jazz Collective, a jazz quintet, is made up of: Chris Latorre , trumpet; Marcus Sunday, saxophone; Desiree Bonitz, piano; Josh Parrish, drums and Ben Gutowski, Bass. The concert is set for November 5th at 7:30 PM in the Barnett Recital Hall on the Evangel University campus.

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Fall 2013

was 12 years old. Since that time, she has been given the opportunity to sing in various churches across the nation, including The Potters House in Dallas, TX and City of Refuge Church in Los Angeles, CA. She is a jazz vocalist at heart, but also enjoys singing gospel, folk, country and classical music. She earned her degree in Vocal Performance at Southwestern Assembly of God University in Waxahachie, TX. She is currently working alongside her husband helping abused and neglected children at Watersprings Ranch in Texarkana, AR. The EU Jazz Orchestra will perform Christmas classics, Let It Snow, Jingle Bells, Christmas Time Is Here, The Christmas Song, and many more arranged in a classic big band swing style. The EU Jazz Orchestras Swing Into the Holidays Concert will be held Decemebr 10th at 7:30 PM in the Barnett Recital Hall on the campus of Evangel University. Admission is free and open to the public. If you want a seat, I would get there early, said Griffin.

FALL GUEST ARTIST Jazz

EU Jazz Studies is please to announce that the Fall14 Guest Artist will be jazz vocalist, Kate Jones. As apart of the Evangel University Artist Series, Kate will perform with the EU Jazz Orchestra on the December 10th Swing Into The Holidays concert. The Swing Into The Holidays concert will be the first all Christmas music concert given by the EU Jazz Orchestra. We hope it will be

We hope it will be a fun filled night for the whole family said Joel Griffin, Director of the EU Jazz Orchestra. It should be a great night of great music and we look forward to a wonderful performance with Kate. Kate Jones is a vocalist and songwriter from East Texas. She began performing when she was 12 years old. From that time she

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Fall 2013

MMEA All-Collegiate Jazz Band

The Missouri Music Educators Association (MMEA) has announced auditions for the 2014 All-Collegiate Jazz Band. The MMEA All-Collegiate Jazz Band is put together every four years from all universities and four-year colleges across the state of Missouri. Candidates for this ensemble are selected to audition by director recommendation only. This year the Evangel University Jazz Studies Area is pleased to announce that EU Jazz Orchestra members Chris Latorre (trumpet) and Desiree Bonitz (piano) have been chosen to audition. Chris Latorre is a senior music major from Blackwood, New Jersey. A staple figure in the EU Jazz Orchestras trumpet section, Chris has played in the jazz orchestra for 4 years. Heavily involved in the music program at Evangel, he has played in the EU Concert Orchestra, EU Orchestra, EU Marching Band, and the EU Jazz Collective. Upon graduating Chris plans to pursue a masters degree in jazz studies. Desiree Bonitz is a junior piano performance major from York, Pennsylvania. Desiree is heavily involved with the jazz studies program at EU playing in the EU Jazz Orchestra and EU Jazz Collective. Recently, she performed with the Joel Griffin Quartet, fronted by EUs Director of Jazz Studies. Desiree is a well-rounded musician, not only as both a classical and jazz pianist, but she also plays violin in the University Orchestra. The all-collegiate jazz band will be under the direction of, famed alto saxophonist and Grammy award nominee, Brad Leali. Mr. Leali currently holds the position of Professor of Jazz Saxophone at the prestigious University of North Texas, where his studio hosts the largest enrollment of saxophonists of any university in the country. From 19891994, Leali was the lead alto saxophonist for the Harry Connick Jr. Orchestra, serving as its musical director from 19901994. In 1995, he joined the Count Basie Orchestra. During his years as one of the top jazz musicians in New York City, Leali was a staple figure in jazz venues like the Village Vanguard, Blue Note, Jazz Standard, Iridium, and Birdland. He has appeared in concert with notable artists Nancy Wilson, Benny Golson, Freddie Hubbard, Clark Terry, Jimmy Cobb, Frank Foster, Jimmy Smith, The Mingus Big Band, Herbie Hancock, George Duke, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Mary J. Blige, Billy Joel to name a few. Those selected to the all-collegiate jazz band will rehearse and perform at the 2014 MMEA Annual Conference held at Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach, MO.

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EU Jazz Orchestra Homecoming Concert

Fall 2013

The Evangel University Jazz Orchestra (EUJO) was honored to be asked to play for this years homecoming concert. Thursday night October 3rd the EUJO was in full swing to a full house. It was standing room only as 350+ people packed into the Barnett Recital Hall to hear live jazz. The students worked really hard to make this concert happen, says Joel Griffin, director of EUJO. The jazz orchestra moved their normal concert forward on the calendar more than a month to work with the homecoming schedule. If you are going to loose that much rehearsal time, you have to find it somewhere, said Griffin. It takes a lot of work to make this music happen. The band rehearsed Labor Day weekend and every Sunday. The night was filled with standard big band literature from the Count Basie Orchestra, Woody Herman and Buddy Rich Big Bands and originals from composers Scott Harris, Dave Barduhn and Paul McKee.

One the second half of the concert the audience was surprised with a special performance by direct Griffin. I dont usually like to play on these concerts, Griffin told the audience. I like for this to be about the students not me, but Dr. Michael Kolstad, chairman of the department of music, requested I do so. The night ended with a standing ovation for the audience and many people staying around to congratulate the student musicians on a job well done. It may be the best Ive ever heard the band, says Dr. Kolstad. The EUJO has two more performances left this semester if you missed the homecoming concert. December 6th they will perform as apart of the EU Christmas Concert and again on Decemeber 10th for their Swing Into The Holidays Concert (see page 4).

Evangel University Jazz Studies

1111 N. Glenstone Springfield, MO 65802 griffin@evangel.edu 417.865.2815 EXT. 7839