UVA Jazz Ensemble:
The University of Virginia McIntire Department of Music presents the UVa Jazz Ensemble on Saturday, February 22nd at 8pm in Old Cabell Hall.
The band will be performing D'earth's original arrangements and compositions in the first half of the concert, including the four movement "Ephemera for Big Band" based on three poems by his brother, Paul Smyth, and featuring Veronica Swift O'Brien on vocals. It was commissioned for her to sing with the Youth Orchestra (YOCA) when she was fifteen. Greg Thomas, Ronnie's band director at AHS then commissioned D'earth to write the piece for big band. She now attends University of Miami in Florida’s Frost School of Music. and will perform the piece for the first time at UVa. The band will be restoring the third movement, "In Memorium (Goodbye Secret King") which is an instrumental tribute to the late saxophonist and Charlottesville native, Leroi Moore. The band will also be performing D'earth's arrangements of "Joy to the World," and Charles Mingus' "Reincarnation of a Lovebird." The evening will also include music by Thad Jones, Horace Silver, and Count Basie.
The evening is a special expression of gratitude and appreciation to Scott DeVeaux from The Jazz Ensemble, the McIntire Dept. of Music, and from his old friend, John D'earth, for his thirty stellar years of scholarship and service to the University and the Music Department. Mystery guests are expected to appear in honor of Professor Deveaux. D'earth and the band are also delighted to welcome alto saxophonist and Ph.D. candidate in ethnomusicology, Steven Lewis, as their featured instrumental guest of the evening.
The UVa Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of trumpeter and composer John D’earth, has become one of the greatest in the University’s history. The group’s performances feature repertoire from across the spectrum of the history of Jazz. This concert will include classic arrangements like “The Kid From Red Bank” written by Neal Hefti to feature Count Basie’s piano playing, and “Nutville,” by Horace Silver as well as original compositions.
The concert will also feature an incoming UVa Music PhD candidate, Steven Lewis, on alto saxophone. Lewis came to UVa after completing a BA in Jazz Studies and saxophone performance at Florida State University. Steven is a Jefferson Fellow and an accomplished jazz musician. His research interests include jazz, ragtime, minstrelsy, and music’s relationship to African-American identity.
Trumpeter/composer John D'earth is the Director of Jazz Performance at the University of Virginia as well as the artist in residence at Virginia Commonwealth University. D’earth has recorded as a leader for Vanguard Records, ENJA Records, DoubleTime Jazz, and his own Cosmology label. He is a co-founder of the Free Bridge Quintet, the UVa faculty jazz quartet and leads the Charlottesville Swing Orchestra, the jazz/poetry project, and his own quartet/quintet. As the Director of Jazz Performance at the University of Virginia, he teaches improvisation, jazz trumpet, and directs the UVa Jazz Ensemble. D'earth has toured with Bruce Hornsby, recorded with Miles Davis/Quincy Jones and has written music for Dave Matthews, the Kronos String Quartet, assorted symphony orchestras, the UVa Jazz Ensemble as well as numerous other groups.
Giles Morris recently featured John D'earth in C-Ville Weekly. Read the full story here http://bit.ly/dearth-cville.
Tickets are $10 for the general public, $5 for students and free for UVa Students who reserve in advance. Tickets can be purchased by contacting the Arts Box Office at 434.924.3376 or visiting https://artsboxoffice.virginia.edu/
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, or in the lots off University Avenue at the University Corner. Handicapped parking is available in the C1 parking lot or in designated spaces on McCormick Avenue.
For more information please call the McIntire Department of Music at 434.924.3052.
To find out more about Jazz events at UVa visit https://music.virginia.edu/jazz-events.