Southern Exposure - TCU Jazz 1984-85

 

Southern Exposure

Southern Exposure

TCU Jazz

1984-85 Jazz Ensemble

TCU Texas Christian University

From the back cover: Curt Wilson - Curt Wilson has been at TCU since 1976. He directs two jazz ensembles and teaches jazz improvisation, jazz arranging, theory, orchestration, composition and Survey of Popular Music and Jazz.

Before coming to TCU, Mr. Wilson was Director of Bands at Ashland College, Ashland, Ohio. Prior to that he taught theory, woodwinds and jazz ensembles at Valley City State College, Valley City, North Dakota.

From 1966-68 he was a member of the Fred Waring Pennsylvanians.

Hank Levy - Composer, arranger, conductor, saxophonist and teacher, Hank Levy is the consummate innovator in the use of odd-meters in jazz composition. For many years he was the chief arranger for both the Don Ellis Band and the Stan Kenton Orchestra. Currently, he is professor of music at Towson State College, Towson, Maryland.

Hank represents many "firsts" for the TCU jazz program. In 1978 he was our quest artist for the first TCH jazz Festival. Also on the program was the great Stan Kenton Orchestra. Some of Hank's music was included on the first TCU jazz ensemble album released in 1978 and Southern Exposure is our first "commissioned" work.

Southern Exposure is, essentially, a concerto for tenor saxophone and jazz ensemble. The meter is 5/4 with a jazz samba feel. The main body of the work consists of 5/4 double time (Latin) with various ensemble passages interwoven around the soloist. After a solo cadenza the original "calm" 5/4 theme returns to conclude the work.

Jazz At Texas Christian University - The "official" jazz studies program at TCU began in 1976. Since that time the TCU Jazz Ensemble has appeared in concert with such notable international jazz artists as Hank Levy, Don Menza, Urbie Green, Mike Vax, Ed Shaughnessy, Pete Christlieb, Ashley Alexander, Frank Mantooth and Roger Pemberton.

The annual TCU Jazz Festival has fast become one of the largest and most prestigious festivals in the state. Since its beginning in 1978, the event has attracted more than 3500 talented high school players throughout the state. Groups have attended the festival from every part of Texas and from as far away as Tennessee, Iowa and Hawaii.

The band won first-place at the 1977 Wichita Kansas Collegiate Jazz Festival. Other appearances include the 1978 CBDNA South-western Convention, 1979 TMEA Convention, and, most recently, the 1985 NAJE National Convention.

In May 1979, the ensemble took a three-week concert tour of the Soviet Union and Poland. During the Spring of 1984, the group performed for one week in the New York City area.

Southern Exposure

The Last Drive

Flintstones Theme

Wind Chill

Oleo

For You And ME

Royal Blues