Jazz @ the Library - The Art of Four Parts: The Evolution of the Vocal Jazz Ensemble

Tuesday February 15th - Woodward Park Regional Library

JazzFresno and the Fresno County Public Libraries host Jazz @ the Library on Tuesday February 15, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. at the Woodward Park Regional County Library, located at 944 E. Perrin Ave. (Champlain & Perrin).

The title of the February edition of Jazz @ the Library is “The Art of Four Parts: The Evolution of the Vocal Jazz Ensemble.”  It will feature a presentation of Julie and Mike Dana, directors of the Fresno City College Jazz Singers, who will trace the development of the vocal jazz ensemble from its roots in the swing era through bebop styles of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross to the more contemporary styles of Manhattan Transfer and New York Voices. The Fresno City College Jazz Singers will perform several arrangements of jazz standards and originals.

Academic Decathlon Review Session

JazzFresno, in collaboration with the Fresno County Office of Education and the Music Department of California State University, Fresno, sponsored an informative and engaging review / listening session on January 20, 2011 at the Wahlberg Recital Hall, on the campus of CSU, Fresno.  Over 130 high school students, teachers, parents, and Academic Decathlon coaches from throughout the Central Valley attended this event.

The topic for the national 2010-2011 Academic Decathlon is "The Great Depression."  The music component covers "American Music of the 1930s: The Music of The Great Depression."  The sections covered were "Popular Song of the 1930s," "Blues & Jazz in the 1930s," "Classical Music of the 1930s," and an introductory lecture / discussion on basic elements of music theory.

The evening's presentations were conducted by a panel of music professors from CSU, Fresno.

Dr. Alan Durst, Director of Jazz Studies and saxophone.
Brad Hufft, professor of music theory, music history and composer.
Brian Hamada, professor of jazz history and jazz percussion.

Jazz @ The Library - Epistrophy: The Music of Thelonious Monk

Tuesday January 18th - Woodward Park Regional Library

JazzFresno and the Fresno County Public Libraries host Jazz at the Library on Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 7:00pm at the Woodward Park Regional Country Library, located at 944 E. Perrin Ave (Champlain & Perrin). The January edition of Jazz at the Library will feature a presentation by talented pianist, composer, and Monk scholar, Armen Nalbandian, titled "Epistrophy: The Music of Thelonious Monk." This presentation will provide insight into the music and compositions of Monk who, along with Dizzy Gillespie, was a pioneer in the development of "bebop." Monk's playing and compositions, "Round Midnight" among them, had a formative influence in modern jazz. Monk was a brilliant if unorthodox improviser who said, "The piano ain't got no wrong notes." 

Jazz @ The Library - Lester Young: A Tenor Sax Legend

Tuesday November 16th - Woodward Park Regional Library

The November edition of Jazz at the Library will feature a presentation by Dr. Vince Moats, jazz musician, jazz educator, and mentor to numerous Fresno area jazz musicians. Dr. Moats’ topic is “Lester Young: A Tenor Sax Legend” in which he will explore Lester Young’s influence on tenor sax players from the 1930’s to the present via recorded examples and a live jazz quartet. As the tenor sax became a major jazz solo instrument in the 1930’s, two distinctly different styles emerged: the jazz of Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster, on the beat and funky and the more relaxed and cool jazz of Lester Young. To this day musicians tend to follow one of these two stylistic paths.