COLUMBIA- The University of Missouri School of Music and Jazz Studies Program announce the release of the second recording from the MU Concert Jazz Band, Tunnel Vision, the follow up to the critically acclaimed Vertigo: the Music of Mike Mainieri. Recorded in May 2011, and supported by the Mizzou New Music Initiative, the CD features brand new original compositions by MU School of Music students and faculty alike.
“Recording this CD with this band was certainly one of my best moments in jazz education”, said Arthur White, MU director of jazz studies, and producer of the CD. “The vibe during the session was really special, and the performances were heartfelt, intense, and really swinging”.
Joining the ensemble on the recording are two of Missouri’s native sons, both widely considered to be modern jazz icons: saxophonist Bobby Watson and flugelhorn soloist Mike Metheny, an alum of the MU School of Music. Having both men perform on the CD was by design, according to White.
“All of the composers and arrangers are either from Missouri, are students at MU, or have a special tie to Missouri, and it seemed like common sense to have two icons of modern jazz, two of Missouri’s finest, to perform with us”, said White.
“It was a special honor to be asked to return to my alma mater to record some solos with Dr. White’s excellent group”, said Metheny, a Lee’s Summit native and 1971 graduate of MU. Metheny has performed on festival stages all over the world, and has recorded ten critically acclaimed albums as a leader with a veritable who’s who in jazz, including, Bill Frisell, Rufus Reid, John Riley, Bob Bowman, Todd Strait, and his brother, guitarist Pat Metheny.
The MU Concert Jazz Band is the flagship ensemble of the Jazz Studies Program, housed in the MU School of Music. The band has also performed with nationally acclaimed jazz artists such as Maria Schneider, Rufus Reid, Bob Mintzer, Terell Stafford, John Fedchock, Mike Mainieri, and others.
The MU jazz studies program will celebrate the release of the CD with the 2011-12 season’s opening concert, Thursday, September 22, 2011, 8pm, at the historic Missouri Theatre Center for the Arts, Columbia. The Concert and Studio Jazz Bands, both under the direction of White, will perform selections from the CD, as well as a mix of classic and contemporary jazz. The general admission show is free to the public, though donations will be accepted at the door. Metheny will be the special guest artist, and will perform with both bands.
Tunnel Vision can be purchased the night of the show, and all proceeds from the sale of the CD will benefit MU Jazz Studies. The CD will be sold online at cdbaby.com, iTunes, Amazon, and other online retailers, and in person at School of Music, Loeb Hall, and We Always Swing Jazz Series offices, or by calling (573) 882-3430. For more information on the CD or MU Jazz, call (573) 882-3430, or visit mujazz.missouri.edu.
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