JUNE 3 – JUNE 6, 2010
Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra plus The Festival's Rising Stars
Thursday, June 03, 7:00 PM
Theatre at Meydenbauer Center [ Buy tickets ]
Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra Plus The Festival's Rising Stars
High Resolution Photo (Photo Credit: Bruce C. Moore)
The Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra (SRJO) is the Northwest's premier big band jazz ensemble. Founded in 1995, the 17-piece big band is made up of the most prominent jazz soloists and band leaders in the greater Seattle area.
Co-directed by drummer Clarence Acox, nationally recognized director of bands at Seattle's Garfield High School, and saxophonist/arranger Michael Brockman, long-time faculty member at the University of Washington School of Music, the SRJO's extensive and growing repertoire draws from the 100-year history of jazz, from turn-of-the-20th century ragtime to turn-of-the-21st century avant-garde. This includes works by America's most famous jazz composers, among them Fletcher Henderson, Charles Mingus, Gil Evans, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Gerry Mulligan, Thad Jones, and of course, Count Basie and Duke Ellington. In addition, the SRJO's repertoire grows each year as the ensemble adds previously unpublished works to its library.
The SRJO is dedicated to keeping the art of jazz thriving in the Northwest. The organization undertakes many educational outreach activities during its concert year, including jazz workshops and clinics for local school musicians, in-school workshops by SRJO artists, and the annual Jazz4Kids concert.
SRJO will play a concert of highlights from their 2009-2010 concert season, including hits from their November 2009 "Tribute to Ray Charles" concert ("One Mint Julep," "Moanin"), their March 2010 "Big Band Monk and Mingus" concert ("Haitian Fight Song" by Mingus, "Misterioso" by Monk), their April 2010 "Birth of the Cool" concert (Boplicity, Rocker), and a new Michael Brockman composition for the SRJO titled "Passage Noir." Featured soloists include trumpeter Jay Thomas, baritone saxophonist Bill Ramsay, pianist Randy Halberstadt, tenor saxophonist Hadely Caliman and Travis Ranney, trombonists Dan Marcus and David Marriott, plus alto saxophonists Mark Taylor and Michael Brockman. The orchestra will perform Thursday, June 3, at the Theatre at Meydenbauer Center following the Bellevue Jazz Festival Rising Stars performance at 7 p.m. SRJO will take the stage at 8:30 p.m.