Guest Artists: Fall 2008

 

 

Guitarist Jamie Findlay

 

 

Originally from Seattle Washington, Jamie is one of the masters of contemporary acoustic guitar. With two CD's under his own name, "Wings of Light" and "Amigos del Corazón" , Jamie is also a very busy performer and composer, both in the States and abroad. His music is flavored by many styles from jazz and blues to pop and funk. Most recently, Jamie has formed the Acoustic Jazz Quartet, an L.A. based jazz band that features Jamie's compositions, with a their first Naxos Jazz release distributed worldwide in April, '99, and a second Acoustic Jazz Quartet "Organic" released in 2001. In 2002 Jamie formed a guitar duo with Duck Baker, and the pair recorded an adventurous and critically acclaimed record of jazz guitar duos titled "Out of the Past". Jamie continues to perform solo as well.

He has three videos published, two instructional videos out with Starlicks, "Acoustic Fingerpicking" and "Acoustic Guitar Soloing," and one concert video from the "Open Strings" Festival from Osnabrück, Germany, '98, distributed in the states by Mel Bay. He's written four books; one featuring his own compositions from the Acoustic Music Records "Amigos del Corazón," a book of fingerstyle arrangements of jazz standards, a book on harmonic technique and one on Chord Shapes for Hal Leonard.

Jamie contributes to several guitar magazines throughout the world, has taught Jazz Guitar at the University of Southern California and now teaches at Musicians Institute in Hollywood, Ca. At Summer NAMM '99 in Nashville, he was the host for Acoustic Guitar Magazine's "Acoustic Magic" event at Cafe Milano, and in November, '99 he was featured in Chitarre, Italy's premier guitar magazine. Jamie is currently preparing material for three new solo records, one on material from the Beatles, one on "Folk Remedies", and one featuring original material. He's recently released "Miles Davis for Solo Guitar" also has another book in the works for Hal Leonard titled "Fingerstyle Guitar Method". Since 1975, an impressive personal career has been developed, with travel and performance throughout almost all parts of the United States, as well as to Asia and Central America, Brazil, and eight tours of Europe, performing and giving clinics.

 

 

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Saxophonist: Brent Jensen

 

 

In 1986-87, Brent studied in New York City with jazz legend Lee Konitz on a grant from the Idaho Commission on the Arts. He was a featured winner of the Woodwinds on Fire international talent search conducted by Jazziz magazine (August 1996). Brent has performed with a wide variety of jazz artists including Gene Harris, Bobby Shew, Gary Foster, Dave Peck, Joe LaBarbera, John Clayton, Wycliffe Gordon, Warren Vache, Curtis Stigers, John Stowell, Kristin Korb, Jamie Findlay, Duck Baker, Dianne Schuur and many others.

 

His recording, The Sound of a Dry Martini: Remembering Paul Desmond on Origin Arts, charted at the #1 position on jazz radio stations across the country. Dry Martini was also featured on JazzWeek's Top 100 and NPR's JazzWorks' Top 25 lists for the year 2002. Stay Cool, Brent's second release on Origin made Jim Wilke's (host of Jazz After Hours) “Favorite Jazz CD 2002” list. His most recent CD is One More Mile also on Origin Records and features Seattle musicians Bill Anschell (piano), Jeff Johnson (bass) and John Bishop (drums). This disc was recently named as one of Jim Wilke's (host of Jazz After Hours) “Favorite Jazz CDs of 2007”.

 

Brent Jensen is an Assistant Professor of Music at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls.

 

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Saxophonist Tom Walsh

 

 

Thomas Walsh is Associate Professor of Saxophone and Jazz Studies at Indiana University in Bloomington and is a Yamaha Performing Artist. An active performer of jazz and classical music, he performs regularly with the Louisville Orchestra and he has appeared as a solo recitalist, in chamber groups, jazz small groups, big bands, and Broadway shows. He has presented concerts and workshops across the United States, as well as in Japan, Germany, Austria, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Azerbaijan, and Costa Rica. He performs regularly at conferences of the North American Saxophone Alliance and performed at the World Saxophone Congress in Montreal (2000) and Minneapolis (2003). In addition, Walsh has published articles in Jazz Research 1998, Saxophone Symposium, and NASA Update. His doctoral document is entitled "A Performer's Guide to the Saxophone Music of Bernhard Heiden."

 

In 2002, Walsh released his first jazz CD, New LIfe, on the RIAX label. His first classical Saxophone disc, Shaking the Pumpkin, was released in 1998 on RIAX. About Shaking the Pumpkin, Saxophone Journal writes, "Do not let this CD slide through your hands. . . . Thomas Walsh is an exceptional performer and an outstanding saxophonist. . . . It makes no difference which saxophone is in his hands, they are all equal clay to his touch." He has also recorded with the Buselli/Wallarab Jazz Orchestra, the Dominic Spera Big Band, the eugene Rousseau Big Band, and jazz vocalists Wanda Stafford and Janiece Jaffe.

 

Walsh is on the faculty of the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshops. He has also taught at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, Purdue University, and Millikin University. Walsh holds Doctor of Music degrees in Saxophone Performance and a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from Indiana University where he studied with distinguished classical saxophonist Eugene Rousseau and renowned jazz educator David Baker.

 

 

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USU Jazz Events: 2008

Date	Fall 2008
September 9th, 7:30 PM	MB3 Concert, @Performance Hall
Novmenber 24th - 7:00 - 9:30 PM	USU IAJE Last Wednesday Jam Session feat, Guitarist Jamey Findlay and saxophonist Brent Jensen. @ Why Sound (30 Federal Ave. 3$ for students, FREE if you sit in.
- 1:30 PM	LA based jazz guitarist Jamey Findlay CLINIC, Rm 222
October 14th 7:00 - 9:30 PM	USU IAJE Last Wednesday Jam Session feat, saxophonist Tom Walsh. @ Why Sound (30 Federal Ave. 3$ for students, FREE if you sit in.
October 15th 1:30 - 2:30 PM	Tom Walsh, Professor of Saxophone and Jazz at Indiana University CLINIC. In Dalby Hall (FA 104)
- 7:30 PM	USU Jazz Big Bands featuring saxophonist Tom Walsh @ The USU Performance Hall, FREE
October 29th 7:00 - 9:30 PM	USU IAJE Last Wednesday Jam Session. @ Why Sound (30 Federal Ave. 3$ for students, FREE if you sit in.
November 5th 7:30 PM	USU Jazz Combos Concert @ The Performance Hall, FREE
November 14th 6:00 PM	Caine Jazz Combo. @ Wells Fargo Bldg. (State St. SLC
November 17th 7:30 PM	Electric Guitar Ensemble, @ The Performance Hall, 5$ Gen admission, USU Students FREE
November 19th 7:00 - 9:30 PM	USU IAJE Last Wednesday Jam Session. @ Why Sound (30 Federal Ave. 3$ for students, FREE if you sit in.
December 3rd	Kent Concert Hall @ USU, FREE
December 6th 3:00 PM	Jazz Orchestra @ Tri-State Band Festival, @ Kent Concert Hall
December 11th 7:30 PM	Jazz Kicks Big Band: @ USU Performance Hall, $5 general admission, USU students FREE