UVA Jazz Ensemble
The University of Virginia McIntire Department of Music presents the UVA Jazz Ensemble on Sunday, April 13, 2014 at 3:30pm in Old Cabell Hall. John D’earth has invited trumpeter Rex Richardson and Tenor Saxophonist J.C. Kuhl to join the Jazz Ensemble for the spring guest artist concert.
Both teach at Virginia Commonwealth University where D’earth is the (jazz) artist-in-residence. Kuhl has been a mainstay of D’earth’s Quintet for close to ten years and they have recorded two CDs under D’earth’s leadership and collaborated on many other performances and recordings. Rex Richardson is a world-renowned classical trumper and a jazz musician of great distinction having worked for several years with legendary saxophonist Joe Henderson.
“For many years I have been deeply involved, in various capacities, with music at UVA and VCU and I have wanted to bring these two very different worlds together. I want the students to meet and discuss their musical and life journeys and compare their experiences. I think the professional track musicians of the very fine VCU performance program have a lot to share with our passionate, avocational, liberal-arts musicians, and vice-versa. But the concert is more than an attempt to create these connections. We will be presenting two very great musicians playing music that will highlight their technical prowess and their depth as improvisers. I call Rex Richardson “extreme sports of trumpet.” I have never heard anyone do what he does. It is the equivalent of hair-raising Olympic acrobatics on a snowboard. And J.C. is simply one of my favorite tenor players. He always knows exactly what to do with my music.”
That is a good thing because D’earth will be presenting his own music along with some venerable big band classics like Count Basie’s “Whirly Bird,” Bill Strayhorn’s “Isfahan,” and Thad Jones’ “One in Three.” The band will perform a new trilogy by D’earth called “Short Stories,” as well as two of his older compositions, “Beyond Belief,” and “Ngoni,” which is from D’earth’s recently released chamber music CD on Omni-tone Records with the Kandinsky Trio.
Tickets for this concert 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 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 at 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.