jazz education

Embark on a mesmerizing musical journey as we unveil the Afro-Jazz brilliance of the Kampala Jazz Orchestra (KJO) in this captivating episode titled "From Kampala to the World." Prepare to be transported as we explore the transcendent sounds and cultural fusion that have garnered international acclaim for this extraordinary ensemble.

Join us as we delve into the rich tapestry of musical traditions that define the KJO's unique sound. Through a seamless blend of Ugandan music traditions and the soulful allure of jazz, the KJO has crafted an artistic language that resonates with audiences worldwide. Prepare to be enchanted by the intricate melodies, infectious rhythms, and awe-inspiring improvisations that embody the Afro-Jazz brilliance of the KJO.

From humble beginnings in Kampala, the KJO has risen to become a beacon of musical excellence. We uncover the stories and experiences of the talented musicians who form this ensemble, exploring how their shared passion and dedication have propelled them onto the global stage. Discover the remarkable impact of KJO's performances, which transcend borders, languages, and cultures, leaving audiences spellbound and craving more.

In this episode, we celebrate the KJO's aspiration to become a world-class Afro-Jazz orchestra, pushing the boundaries of artistic expression and captivating listeners around the globe. We delve into the artistic vision of its leader, Polycarp Kyagulanyi, whose expertise and guidance have shaped the ensemble into a force to be reckoned with.

"From Kampala to the World" unravels the transformative power of music, showcasing how the KJO uses their artistry to bridge cultures, foster connections, and spread joy through their performances. Join us as we explore the mesmerizing journey of the Kampala Jazz Orchestra, and witness the Afro-Jazz brilliance that continues to captivate audiences from Kampala to the farthest corners of the world.

Listen to Ugandan Art Speaks Out on all podcast platforms.
For more information and to explore further, visit our website at https://www.ugandanartspeaksout.com/
Contact us at adnan@omuti.org or director@omuti.org

Phoenix-based saxophonist/composer/educator Mary Petrich stopped by the VJC Q&T podcast in late February for a spirited conversation with host Russell Schmidt. Mary has long been admired by her peers for her uniquely creative voice, both as a performer and composer. A founding member of the Nash Composers Coalition, she is also increasingly active on the scene as an educator, including her brilliant work with the Phoenix Jazz Girls Rising program.

In this engaging interview (recorded prior to the massive upheaval resulting from the global pandemic), Mary and Russ shared questions and tangents on such matters as how practice habits can morph into compositions, the connection between vibration in one’s horn and vibration in the body, and even consider how the creative process might be analogous to excavation.

Learn more about Mary Petrich here:

http://marypetrich.com/

Learn more about the Phoenix Jazz Girls Rising program, of which she is a Co-Founder, here:

https://thenash.org/education/phoenix-jazz-girls-rising/

Find her most recent recording, Murmuration, here: 

https://www.amazon.com/Murmuration-Mary-Petrich-Openhand/dp/B019S6YOMQ

Learn more about some of the people, venues, works, and concepts mentioned in the podcast here:

Claudia Bloom – https://www.claudiabloompianist.com/

Julianne Colwell – http://voyagephoenix.com/interview/art-life-julianne-colwell/

Bill Evans – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Evans

Charles Lewis – https://downtowndevil.com/?s=Charles+lewis+jazz

Thelonious Monk – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelonious_Monk

Pam Morita – https://pamelamorita.wixsite.com/jazz

Terry Riley – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Riley

Wayne Shorter – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Shorter

Monica Shriver – http://www.monicashriver.com/

Brice Winston – http://www.bricewinston.com/

The Nash – https://thenash.org/

The Language of the Unknown – https://www.audaud.com/the-language-of-the-unknown-the-wayne-shorter-quartet-blu-ray-2014/

Tread On The Trail – http://www.sonoloco.com/rev/composers/glo/trail/trail.html

University of Exeter Study on the Different Effects of Poetry and Prose on the Brain – https://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1112971504/effects-of-poetry-on-the-brain-101013/

Collaborative Piano – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collaborative_piano

Drop the Needle – https://nafme.org/drop-the-needle/

Motivic Cell – http://composersguide.com/motivic-cells/

Thanks for listening!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & RATE THIS EPISODE!

Website: https://www.valleyjazz.org/

Social Media (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/ValleyJazzCooperative/

About The Host: Pianist/composer/educator Russell Schmidt has performed with such celebrated artists as Carl Allen, Michael Brecker, Eddie Daniels, John Hollenbeck, Joe Lovano, Gerry Mulligan, Lucas Pino, Arturo Sandoval, and Clark Terry. Among his recordings as a leader are Anachromysticism (2012), which highlights Russell’s wide-ranging efforts as a jazz composer, Jazz Triptych, Volume I – The Sacred (2018), a collection of hymns and spirituals reimagined in the jazz language, and his most recent recording, the companion album Jazz Triptych, Volume II – The Secular (2019).

After a distinguished career in academia, Russell joined Music Serving The Word in June 2014 as Coordinator of Education, founding MSW’s Valley Jazz Cooperative program in 2016. Previously, he served as Director of Jazz Studies at Bowling Green State University and the University of Utah. He was also a member of the Eastman School of Music jazz faculty, where he co-conducted the Eastman Studio Orchestra. A student of Rayburn Wright, Russell holds two degrees from Eastman.

Find music from VJC Q&T host Russell Schmidt here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuao1b7Ztc7JNpUTzyorXDQ?

The Questions & Tangents podcast is produced by Caleb Kilian, for the Valley Jazz Cooperative, an outreach of MSW Ministries, a 501(c)(3) organization.

VJC Q&T podcast host Russell Schmidt has shared a journey in music education with violist Nancy Buck since they first met in 1995 at Bowling Green State University’s new faculty orientation. And for more than two decades, Nancy and Russ have maintained a joyous partnership on and off the concert stage. Nancy is a nationally-renown artist/teacher who presently serves as an Associate Professor of Viola at Arizona State University. She is also the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of the Arizona Violacademy. 

Nancy recently stopped by the MSW-Tempe studio to share questions and tangents with Russ. In this, the second of two podcasts together, they discussed why playing with others must be an “ears-over-eyes” experience, what it means to contribute texture to music, and even how varieties of chocolate might relate to a performing artist’s concept of sound.

Learn more about Nancy Buck here:

https://music.asu.edu/profile/nancy-buck

Learn more about the Arizona Violacademy, for which she serves as Artistic Director and Co-Founder, here:

https://astaaz.org/event/violacademy/

Learn more about some of the people, institutions, and other topics mentioned in the podcast here:

Johannes Brahms – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms

Elizabeth Buck – https://music.asu.edu/profile/elizabeth-buck

Steven Cornelius – https://www.umb.edu/academics/cla/faculty/steven_cornelius

Vincenzo Sannino – https://tarisio.com/cozio-archive/cozio-carteggio/vincenzo-sannino/

Shinichi Suzuki – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinichi_Suzuki_(violinist)

Georg Philipp Telemann – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Philipp_Telemann

Rayburn Wright – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayburn_Wright

Bowling Green State University College of Musical Arts – https://www.bgsu.edu/musical-arts.html

Oberlin Conservatory of Music – https://www.oberlin.edu/conservatory

Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts –https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Governor%27s_School_for_the_Arts

University of California, Berkeley – https://www.berkeley.edu/

Afro-Caribbean Music – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afro-Caribbean_music

Chamber Music – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamber_music

Dance - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dance

Dark Chocolate – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_chocolate

Kinesthetic (or Physical) Intelligence – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_intelligence

Milk Chocolate – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Types_of_chocolate#Milk_chocolate

Mona Lisa – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa

Plasma – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_(physics)

Suzuki Method – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki_method

Viola Repertoire – https://imslp.org/wiki/List_of_Compositions_Featuring_the_Viola

White Chocolate – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_chocolate

Thanks for listening!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & RATE THIS EPISODE!

Website: https://www.valleyjazz.org/

Social Media (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/ValleyJazzCooperative/

About The Host: Pianist/composer/educator Russell Schmidt has performed with such celebrated artists as Carl Allen, Michael Brecker, Eddie Daniels, John Hollenbeck, Joe Lovano, Gerry Mulligan, Lucas Pino, Arturo Sandoval, and Clark Terry. Among his recordings as a leader are Anachromysticism (2012), which highlights Russell’s wide-ranging efforts as a jazz composer, Jazz Triptych, Volume I – The Sacred (2018), a collection of hymns and spirituals reimagined in the jazz language, and his most recent recording, the companion album Jazz Triptych, Volume II – The Secular (2019).

After a distinguished career in academia, Russell joined Music Serving The Word in June 2014 as Coordinator of Education, founding MSW’s Valley Jazz Cooperative program in 2016. Previously, he served as Director of Jazz Studies at Bowling Green State University and the University of Utah. He was also a member of the Eastman School of Music jazz faculty, where he co-conducted the Eastman Studio Orchestra. A student of Rayburn Wright, Russell holds two degrees from Eastman.

Find music from VJC Q&T host Russell Schmidt here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuao1b7Ztc7JNpUTzyorXDQ?

The Questions & Tangents podcast is produced by Caleb Kilian, for the Valley Jazz Cooperative, an outreach of MSW Ministries, a 501(c)(3) organization.

VJC Q&T podcast host Russell Schmidt has known jazz pianist, vocalist, composer, educator Pam Morita (The Nash Futures Workshop, Paradise Valley Community College) for more than a decade. Pam is the former Director of CityJazz (an outreach of Phoenix Center for the Arts) and currently leads the Nash Futures Workshop in downtown Phoenix. Additionally, she is on the faculty at Paradise Valley Community College.

Just over a month ago, Pam sat down with Russ to discuss her initial transition from classical piano student to a working jazz musician, why she has been particularly motivated to work with music students at the beginning of their jazz journeys, and even how a more optimistic worldview has allowed her to find beauty in some interesting places.

Learn more about Pamela Morita here: https://pamelamorita.wixsite.com/jazz

Learn more about her innovative educational program, The Nash Futures Workshop, here: https://thenash.org/education/the-nash-futures-workshop/

Learn more about some of the people, places, pieces, and concepts mentioned in the podcast here:

J. S. Bach – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Sebastian_Bach

Count Basie – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_Basie

Tony Bennett (performing artist) – https://tonybennett.com/music.php

Tony Bennett (visual artist) – https://www.tonybennett.com/arts.php

Miles Davis (performing artist) – https://www.milesdavis.com/albums

Miles Davis (visual artist) – https://www.milesdavis.com/gallery/miles-artwork/

Claude Debussy – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Debussy

Michael Kocour – http://www.michaelkocour.com/

Paul-Eirik Melhus (on SoundCloud) – https://soundcloud.com/paul-eirikmelhus

Mulgrew Miller – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulgrew_Miller

Mulgrew Miller (improvisation-as-language video) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyRGB_x7VSg

Lucas Pino – https://www.lucaspino.com/

Maurice Ravel – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Ravel

Diana Ross – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana_Ross

Dennis Rowland – https://www.dennisrowland.com/

George Shearing – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Shearing

Miyoshi Umeki – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miyoshi_Umeki

Joe Williams – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Williams_(jazz_singer)

Oprah Winfrey – http://www.oprah.com/index.html

Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive (song) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate_the_Positive

The Courtship of Eddie’s Father (series) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Courtship_of_Eddie%27s_Father

Crazy Rich Asians (film) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crazy_Rich_Asians_(film)

Every Day I Have the Blues (song) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Every_Day_I_Have_the_Blues

The Nash – https://thenash.org/

Paradise Valley Community College Music Department – https://www.paradisevalley.edu/music

Relocation/Internment Camps – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internment_of_Japanese_Americans

Tempo rubato – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempo_rubato

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign School of Music – https://music.illinois.edu/

Thanks for listening!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & RATE THIS EPISODE!

Website: https://www.valleyjazz.org/

Social Media (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/ValleyJazzCooperative/

About The Host: Pianist/composer/educator Russell Schmidt has performed with such celebrated artists as Carl Allen, Michael Brecker, Eddie Daniels, Joe Lovano, Gerry Mulligan, Lucas Pino, Arturo Sandoval, and Clark Terry. Among his recordings as a leader are Anachromysticism (2012), which highlights Russell’s wide-ranging efforts as a jazz composer, Jazz Triptych, Volume I – The Sacred (2018), a collection of hymns and spirituals reimagined in the jazz language, and his most recent recording, the companion album Jazz Triptych, Volume II – The Secular (2019).

After a distinguished career in academia, Russell joined Music Serving The Word in June 2014 as Coordinator of Education, founding MSW’s Valley Jazz Cooperative program in 2016. Previously, he served as Director of Jazz Studies at Bowling Green State University and the University of Utah. He was also a member of the Eastman School of Music jazz faculty, where he co-conducted the Eastman Studio Orchestra. A student of Rayburn Wright, Russell holds two degrees from Eastman.

Find music from VJC Q&T host Russell Schmidt here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuao1b7Ztc7JNpUTzyorXDQ?

The Questions & Tangents podcast is produced by Caleb Kilian for the Valley Jazz Cooperative, an outreach of MSW Ministries, a 501(c)(3) organization.

In this special “wait, he’s not interviewing a jazz musician” episode, VJC Q&T podcast host Russell Schmidt took the show in a different direction. With a goal of exploring creativity in various fields, and expanding beyond the realm of jazz, he invited comedian Genevieve Rice (https://genevieverice.com/) to share questions and tangents with him. 

There is certainly much common ground between jazz and comedy: performance aspects, creative development of source material, rhythm and pacing, even improvisation. The wide-ranging discussions in this episode included how a one-time, open mic opportunity grew into a stand-up career for Genevieve, whether or not the writing of a particular joke is ever truly finished, and the impact motherhood has had on her comedy. 

Learn more about and listen to Genevieve Rice here:

https://genevieverice.com/

https://twitter.com/genevieverice

http://www.thankyouforbeingapodcast.libsyn.com/

https://tastebuddies.libsyn.com/

Learn more about some of the artists, programs, and other topics mentioned in the podcast here:

Maria Bamford – https://www.mariabamford.com/

Mark Cherry – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Cherry

Anthony Desamito – http://www.anthonydesamito.com/

Craig Ferguson – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Ferguson

Gilbert Gottfried – https://gilbertgottfried.com/

Dana Gould – https://www.danagould.com/

Jeff Libman – http://jefflibmanmusic.com/

Patton Oswald – http://www.pattonoswalt.com/

Paul F. Tompkins – https://paulftompkins.com/

Ali Wong – https://www.aliwong.com/

Oklahoma! (musical) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma!

@ Midnight (series) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/@midnight

Detroiters (series) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroiters_(TV_series)

G.L.O.W. (series) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GLOW_(TV_series)

The Golden Girls (series) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Girls

Horcrux – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magical_objects_in_Harry_Potter#Horcruxes

Myspace – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myspace

Arizona Suicide Prevention Coalition – https://www.azspc.org/

Thanks for listening!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & RATE THIS EPISODE!

Website:

https://www.valleyjazz.org/

Social Media (Facebook):

https://www.facebook.com/ValleyJazzCooperative/

About The Host:

Pianist/composer/educator Russell Schmidt has performed with such celebrated artists as Carl Allen, Michael Brecker, Eddie Daniels, Joe Lovano, Gerry Mulligan, Lucas Pino, Arturo Sandoval, and Clark Terry. Among his recordings as a leader are Anachromysticism (2012), which highlights Russell’s wide-ranging efforts as a jazz composer, Jazz Triptych, Volume I – The Sacred (2018), a collection of hymns and spirituals reimagined in the jazz language, and his most recent recording, the companion album Jazz Triptych, Volume II – The Secular (2019). 

After a distinguished career in academia, Russell joined Music Serving The Word in June 2014 as Coordinator of Education, founding MSW’s Valley Jazz Cooperative program in 2016. Previously, he served as Director of Jazz Studies at Bowling Green State University and the University of Utah. He was also a member of the Eastman School of Music jazz faculty, where he co-conducted the Eastman Studio Orchestra. A student of Rayburn Wright, Russell holds two degrees from Eastman.

Find music from VJC Q&T host Russell Schmidt here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuao1b7Ztc7JNpUTzyorXDQ?

The Questions & Tangents podcast is produced by Caleb Kilian for the Valley Jazz Cooperative, an outreach of MSW Ministries, a 501(c)(3) organization.

VJC Q&T podcast host Russell Schmidt (Director, Valley Jazz Cooperative) has known pianist/organist/composer Michael Kocour for more than a dozen years. A nationally-renown educator, Mike is the Director of Jazz Studies at Arizona State University. Additionally, he is a recording artist for Origin Records, releasing a solo piano album, East of the Sun, on that label’s OA2 imprint earlier this year.

In early summer, Mike sat down with Russ to record a Q&T podcast. Their far-ranging discussion was engaging and abundant, so much so that the conversation has been split into two separate podcasts, the second of which will be made available later. But in this, the first of two podcasts together, Mike and Russ addressed the potential dangers a sabbatical can bring, talked about an unlikely mentor for the study of Brazilian music, and even found a point at which Oscar Peterson and Johnny Costa intersect.

Learn more about Michael Kocour here:
http://www.michaelkocour.com/
https://herbergerinstitute.asu.edu/profile/michael-kocour

Listen to Michael Kocour (solo piano) perform his composition Winter’s Spell here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3ceKy9Y0aU

Listen to Michael Kocour (organ quartet) perform his composition Chunky here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SXXrTByxyI&list=OLAK5uy_nftb9Vv4HNX37Li27g2dv1_aiCC6ItNHw

Purchase Michael Kocour’s recordings for the Origin Records/OA2 label here:
http://originarts.com/oa2/artists/artist.php?Artist_ID=138

Learn more about some of the artists and/or concepts mentioned in the podcast here:
John Campbell – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Campbell_(jazz_pianist)
Tony Caramia – https://www.esm.rochester.edu/faculty/caramia_tony/
Johnny Costa – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Costa
Joe Daley – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Daley_(musician)
Bill Evans – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Evans
Red Garland – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Garland
Don Grolnick – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Grolnick
Ian Hobson – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Hobson
Toninho Horta – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toninho_Horta
Antonio Carlos Jôbim – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ant%C3%B4nio_Carlos_Jobim
Wynton Kelly – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wynton_Kelly
Jim McNeely – https://www.jim-mcneely.com/
Nicole Pesce – http://www.nicolepesce.com/
Oscar Peterson – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Peterson
Bud Powell – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bud_Powell
Marlene Rosenberg – https://www.marlenemusic.com/
Akio Sasajima – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akio_Sasajima
Wayne Shorter – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Shorter
Art Tatum – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Tatum
McCoy Tyner – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCoy_Tyner
Rayburn Wright – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayburn_Wright
Schillinger System (or Schillinger Method) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schillinger_System

Learn more about the Valley Jazz Cooperative and VJC Q&T host Russell Schmidt here:
https://www.valleyjazz.org/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuao1b7Ztc7JNpUTzyorXDQ?

Thanks for listening!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & RATE THIS EPISODE!

Website:

Link - valleyjazz.org

Social Media:

Facebook - @ValleyJazzCooperative

New Here?

Pianist/composer/educator Russell Schmidt has performed with such celebrated artists as Carl Allen, Michael Brecker, Eddie Daniels, Joe Lovano, Gerry Mulligan, Lucas Pino, Arturo Sandoval, and Clark Terry. He has also served as a keyboard soloist with more than 30 professional orchestras, including performances with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center and the San Francisco Symphony. Among his recordings as a leader are Anachromysticism (2012), which highlights Russell’s wide-ranging efforts as a jazz composer, Jazz Triptych, Volume I – The Sacred (2018), a collection of hymns and spirituals reimagined in the jazz language, and his most recent recording, the companion album Jazz Triptych, Volume II – The Secular (2019).

After a distinguished career in academia, Russell joined Music Serving The Word in June 2014 as Coordinator of Education, founding MSW’s Valley Jazz Cooperative program in 2016. Previously, he served as Director of Jazz Studies at Bowling Green State University and the University of Utah. He also held faculty appointments at Northern Arizona University, the University of North Carolina–Asheville, and the Eastman School of Music, where he co-conducted the Eastman Studio Orchestra. A student of Rayburn Wright, Russell holds two degrees from Eastman.

The Questions & Tangents podcast is produced by Caleb Kilian for the Valley Jazz Cooperative, an outreach of MSW Ministries, a 501(c)(3) organization.

VJC Q&T podcast host Russell Schmidt (Director, Valley Jazz Cooperative) has known jazz composer/arranger/educator/trombonist Paul Ferguson for 35 years and has recorded with him off and on for the past two decades. Paul is the Director of Jazz Studies at Case Western Reserve University. He is also the Artistic Director of the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, one of the leading professional big bands in the Midwest. Paul is a nationally-renown writer for large and small jazz ensembles, and is a former recipient of the Gil Evans Fellowship in Jazz Composition.

In the midst of performing a series of concerts together in Arizona in mid-April 2019, Paul sat down with Russ to record a Questions and Tangents podcast. (Paul also recorded a second podcast, joined by trumpeter Tito Carrillo, which will be released at a later date.) Their free-flowing discussion encompassed the emotional heft of musical memory, the serendipity of finding the right teacher at the right time, and even consideration of the overriding cultural ethos permeating northeast Ohio.

Learn more about Paul Ferguson here:
http://www.clevelandjazz.org/About/Meet-the-Orchestra/Name-of-Person
https://music.case.edu/faculty/paul-ferguson/
http://paulfergusonmusic.com/

Listen to the Paul Ferguson Jazz Orchestra perform his composition Fortune Teller here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS9BPgIpYHA&list=PLeGvpurj2XRDNOYHKUfBosheV9tpN8DPD&index=10&t=0s

Purchase Paul Ferguson’s Encounter recording here:
https://www.amazon.com/Encounter-Paul-Ferguson/dp/B00NR85C9G/ref=sr_1_6?qid=1558478876&refinements=p_32%3APaul+Ferguson&s=music&sr=1-6

Learn more about some of the artists and/or 19th century German philosophers mentioned in the podcast here:
Bill Dobbins – http://sonsofsound.com/artist/bill-dobbins/
J.J. Johnson – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._J._Johnson
Sergei Rachmaninoff – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SergeiRachmaninoff
Jack Schantz – http://www.clevelandjazz.org/About/Meet-the-Orchestra/Jack-Schantz
Maria Schneider – https://www.mariaschneider.com/
Arthur Schopenhauer – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ArthurSchopenhauer
Gunther Schuller – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GuntherSchuller
Igor Stravinsky – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IgorStravinsky
Billy Strayhorn – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BillyStrayhorn
Bill Watrous – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BillWatrous
Rayburn Wright – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RayburnWright
Lyric Opera of Chicago – https://www.lyricopera.org/
Porgy and Bess (review of 2014 LOC production) – https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-lyric-opera-chicago-porgy-bess-review-20141118-column.html

Learn more about the Valley Jazz Cooperative here:
https://www.valleyjazz.org/

Listen to music by VJC Q&T host Russell Schmidt here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuao1b7Ztc7JNpUTzyorXDQ?

Purchase recordings by Russell Schmidt here:
https://www.amazon.com/Russell-Schmidt/e/B001LHCGMG/digital/ref=ntt_mp3_rdr?_encoding=UTF8&sn=d

Thanks for listening!

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & RATE THIS EPISODE!

Website:

Link - valleyjazz.org

Social Media:

Facebook - @ValleyJazzCooperative

New Here?

Pianist/composer/educator Russell Schmidt has performed with such celebrated artists as Carl Allen, Michael Brecker, Eddie Daniels, Joe Lovano, Gerry Mulligan, Lucas Pino, Arturo Sandoval, and Clark Terry. He has also served as a keyboard soloist with more than 30 professional orchestras, including performances with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center and the San Francisco Symphony. Among his recordings as a leader are Anachromysticism (2012), which highlights Russell’s wide-ranging efforts as a jazz composer, Jazz Triptych, Volume I – The Sacred (2018), a collection of hymns and spirituals reimagined in the jazz language, and his most recent recording, the companion album Jazz Triptych, Volume II – The Secular (2019).

After a distinguished career in academia, Russell joined Music Serving The Word in June 2014 as Coordinator of Education, founding MSW’s Valley Jazz Cooperative program in 2016. Previously, he served as Director of Jazz Studies at Bowling Green State University and the University of Utah. He also held faculty appointments at Northern Arizona University, the University of North Carolina–Asheville, and the Eastman School of Music, where he co-conducted the Eastman Studio Orchestra. A student of Rayburn Wright, Russell holds two degrees from Eastman.

The Questions & Tangents podcast is produced by Caleb Kilian for the Valley Jazz Cooperative, an outreach of MSW Ministries, a 501(c)(3) organization.

"VJC Q&T podcast host Russell Schmidt (Director, Valley Jazz Cooperative) has known jazz trumpeter/composer/educator Tito Carrillo for more than twenty years and has had the privilege of sharing a bandstand with him periodically during that time. Tito is a leading musician on the Chicago jazz scene and an Associate Professor of Jazz Trumpet at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

In the midst of performing a series of concerts together in Arizona in mid-April 2019, Tito sat down with Russ to record the very first Questions and Tangents podcast. Their wide-ranging conversation delved into the relationship between performing and teaching, the importance of musical communication, the nature of creativity, and even the value of liner notes in this digital age.

Learn more about Tito Carrillo here:
https://music.illinois.edu/faculty/tito-carrillo

Listen to Tito Carrillo perform Thelonious Monk’s Rhythm-a-Ning here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5xNdzbFM5g

Purchase Tito Carrillo’s debut recording, Opening Statement, here:
http://originarts.com/recordings/recording.php?TitleID=82603

Learn more about some of the artists mentioned in the podcast here:
Clifford Brown – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifford_Brown
Ryan Cohan – http://ryancohan.com/
Celia Cruz – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celia_Cruz
Miles Davis – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_Davis
Paquito D’Rivera – https://paquitodrivera.com/
Jon Faddis – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Faddis
Kenny Garrett – http://www.kennygarrett.com/
Adolph “Bud” Herseth – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolph_Herseth
Freddie Hubbard – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddie_Hubbard
Wynton Marsalis – https://wyntonmarsalis.org/
Nicholas Payton – http://www.nicholaspayton.com/
Tito Puente – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tito_Puente
Claudio Roditi – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudio_Roditi
Woody Shaw – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woody_Shaw
Willie Thomas – https://www.jazzeveryone.com/
Immanuel Wilkins – http://www.immanuelwilkins.com/music
Miguel Zenón – https://miguelzenon.com/
El Gran Combo – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pell%C3%ADn_Rodr%C3%ADguez#El_Gran_Combo

Purchase recordings by Russell Schmidt here:
https://www.amazon.com/Russell-Schmidt/e/B001LHCGMG/digital/ref=ntt_mp3_rdr?_encoding=UTF8&sn=d

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Learn more about the Valley Jazz Cooperative here: valleyjazz.org

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Pianist/composer/educator Russell Schmidt has performed with such celebrated artists as Carl Allen, Michael Brecker, Eddie Daniels, Joe Lovano, Gerry Mulligan, Lucas Pino, Arturo Sandoval, and Clark Terry. He has also served as a keyboard soloist with more than 30 professional orchestras, including performances with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center and the San Francisco Symphony. Among his recordings as a leader are Anachromysticism (2012), which highlights Russell’s wide-ranging efforts as a jazz composer, Jazz Triptych, Volume I – The Sacred (2018), a collection of hymns and spirituals reimagined in the jazz language, and his most recent recording, the companion album Jazz Triptych, Volume II – The Secular (2019).

After a distinguished career in academia, Russell joined Music Serving The Word in June 2014 as Coordinator of Education, founding MSW’s Valley Jazz Cooperative program in 2016. Previously, he served as Director of Jazz Studies at Bowling Green State University and the University of Utah. He also held faculty appointments at Northern Arizona University, the University of North Carolina–Asheville, and the Eastman School of Music, where he co-conducted the Eastman Studio Orchestra. A student of Rayburn Wright, Russell holds two degrees from Eastman.

The Questions & Tangents podcast is produced by Caleb Kilian for the Valley Jazz Cooperative, an outreach of MSW Ministries, a 501(c)(3) organization.