Two North Texas Jass Legends Retire
This week there will be a farewell concert for Neil Slater the Director of the One O'Clock Lab band and Jim Riggs the Director of the Two O'Clock Lab band. They are appropriately called Legends. I had the honor of taking 4 classed under Mr. Slater. My favorite class was the Jazz lecture series. This course brought musicians from all over the world to UNT. It was in essence a master class. One year Elvin Jones came to lecture and play for us. Wow! it was hot.The Brecker brothers came, Bob Dorough (school house rock), Maynard Ferguson, Leon Breeden, Dizzie Gillespie and on. I used to sit and watch as my then boyfriend, father of my son and now my ex was given the oppurtunity to play with these fine musicians.
Neil Slater would put these kids out there with these legends and a kind of magic would happen. The torch is passed year after year. Neil Slater and Jim Riggs have turned out some of the finest Jazz musicians alive today. My ex has been with the Duke Ellington Orchestra for 20 years now. What a great program for Jazz and classical music.UNT is the place to come if you are scouting for Jazz and classical musicians. Now many of my old college mates are running the program, Bravo!
Paris Rutherford Director of the Jazz singers another fine teacher will be retiring this spring.
F.Y.I. in case you were wondering how the One O'Clock got it's name? The band rehearsal time is One O'Clock hence the name. The "One" is the top band followed by the two, three etc.... I spent many a day in my dorm room in Bruce Hall (musicians dorm)listening to the sounds of the lab bands as they practiced next door.
Of course these three Legends are artist in their own right. Stop by the UNT division of Jazz Studies and read about these teachers of Jazz. view link
I bid a fond farewell to these three legends of Jazz.
Hope you enjoyed my trip down memory lane.
Neil Slater would put these kids out there with these legends and a kind of magic would happen. The torch is passed year after year. Neil Slater and Jim Riggs have turned out some of the finest Jazz musicians alive today. My ex has been with the Duke Ellington Orchestra for 20 years now. What a great program for Jazz and classical music.UNT is the place to come if you are scouting for Jazz and classical musicians. Now many of my old college mates are running the program, Bravo!
Paris Rutherford Director of the Jazz singers another fine teacher will be retiring this spring.
F.Y.I. in case you were wondering how the One O'Clock got it's name? The band rehearsal time is One O'Clock hence the name. The "One" is the top band followed by the two, three etc.... I spent many a day in my dorm room in Bruce Hall (musicians dorm)listening to the sounds of the lab bands as they practiced next door.
Of course these three Legends are artist in their own right. Stop by the UNT division of Jazz Studies and read about these teachers of Jazz. view link
I bid a fond farewell to these three legends of Jazz.
Hope you enjoyed my trip down memory lane.
posted
by PatchofBlue
