Department of Music

The UVA Jazz Ensemble presents a concert on Saturday, October 26 at 8:00pm in Old Cabell Hall featuring guest artists in residence tenor saxophonist, Jeff Antoniuk and guitarist, John Lee. Jazz Ensemble director John D’earth invited the two men to the residency after hearing their original music played by their Helluva Band which recently released its first recording, FLOW, on Antoniuk’s Atonal Licks label.

“I have known and played separately with Jeff and John over the years,” says D’earth, “but when we were all together at Maryland Summer Jazz in July I heard the music they were working on and I thought, this is perfect for our band.  It was actually Jeff’s tune, Flow, that caused me to decide this.  It was extremely impulsive of me; I just knew the UVA Jazz Ensemble would love and embrace their music.  And that’s exactly what is happening!”    

Jeff Antoniuk is a Canadian-American saxophonist and educator. Born in Alberta, Canada, he has lived in the U.S. since 1986.  Jeff is passionately engaged in helping mature musicians grow and expand their reach, professionally. He directs Jazz Band Masterclass, inDepth Jazz, and Capital City Voices, which serve vocalists and instrumentalists. In 2005 he co-founded Maryland Summer Jazz.  This music retreat for adult players is held in Rockville, Maryland. D’earth has taught many times in this and in a variety of educational venues created by Mr. Antoniuk.

Antoniuk began touring internationally while a student in the prestigious jazz program at North Texas State. He spent a decade touring and recording in the U.S. with the Unified Jazz Ensemble. Four of those years were spent as an Artist in Residence with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). In 2000, he won the Sammy Nestico Big Band Composition Award, sponsored by The Airmen of Note big band.  He is constantly in demand as a sideman and as a mentor to aspiring musicians at every level of development.

John Lee is a virtuosic guitarist and composer whose non-traditional approach to jazz guitar stems from a wide range of influences. The Washington, D.C.-based guitarist, composer and bandleader draws inspiration from jazz, blues, Indian classical, alternative rock and West African music, but his work extends beyond all boundaries. Lee has performed with a host of stars, in a broad array of genres – from Matisyahu, Hassan Hakmoun, Christian Scott, Keller Williams, Fatoumata Diawara, Cyro Baptista –to his own groups - John Lee Experience, Chu Bubaloo, and Caveman.  In his hometown of Washington, D.C., Lee keeps a busy schedule as a first-call guitarist on the improvised music scene and performs at a range of venues around the D.C. area, including the Smithsonian’s popular Jazz in the Garden series two years running.

The Jazz Ensemble has evolved over the years from a student run organization to become an integral part of the music curriculum at UVA.

“I’m proud of the fact that I was originally hired by the students,” said D’earth.  “Over the years I seem to have survived all the upgrades in departmental status the Jazz Ensemble has enjoyed.  We now have full departmental support and we have recently added a jazz vocal choir to the ensemble.  Our students write for the band and we play the classics.  I have commissioned a big band arrangement of Jeff’s composition, Flow, which he has completed and which we will premier on October 26^th. Preparing for this concert has been so exciting because Jeff and John are bringing us a whole new compositional experience.”

The concert, featuring original compositions (FLOW Charts!) by Lee and Antoniuk, will also include classics like Duke Ellington’s Harlem Airshaft, Count Basie’s Corner Pocket, Charlie Parker’s Moose the Mooche, and the standard Mean to Me, sung by Tina Hashemi, who leads the UVA Jazz Vocal Choir, now in its second year.  Ms. Hashemi will also sing an original arrangement by Jazz Ensemble drummer and music grad student, Rami Stucky, on George Shearing’s classic, Lullabye of Birdland.

The UVA Jazz Ensemble comprises undergraduates, graduate students, and community members.  They offer three concerts per academic year and present numerous guest artists both from our area, and from the national and international jazz scene. 

Old Cabell Hall is located on the south end of UVA's historic lawn, directly opposite the Rotunda. Parking is available in the Central Grounds parking garage on Emmet Street, in the C1 parking lot off McCormick Road, and in the parking lots at the UVA Corner. Handicap parking is available in the small parking lot adjacent to Bryan Hall. 

Tickets are $10 for the General Public, $9 for UVA Faculty and staff, $5 for students, and free for UVA Students who reserve in advance.  Tickets can be purchased at the UVA Arts Box Office at http://www.artsboxoffice.virginia.edu/ or 434.924.3984.  Tickets will also be sold in the lobby of Old Cabell Hall one hour prior to the event start time.

All events are subject to change. 

To see a list of all the UVA Jazz Events visit http://music.virginia.edu/jazz-events