Notable MTSU Jazz Studies Alumni & Students
(MA Jazz Studies 2005) Drummer Jim White was appointed as an Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies at the University of Northern Colorado directly upon completing his MA in Jazz Studies. He spent the summer of 2007 on a national tour with bluegrass artist Alison Krauss and Union Station. Jim is also an active studio and jazz drummer and has performed with some of the biggest names in jazz including Rufus Reid, Dick Oatts and George Garzone and Terrell Stafford. http://jimwhitemusic.com/ (MA Jazz Studies 2005) Guitarist, Shawn Purcell is now pursuing a DMA at the University of Illinois. Prior to his relocation to Champaign, Shawn was an active performing and recording artist in Nashville. He also taught improvisation, private jazz guitar and coached jazz combos at MTSU from 2005-2007. He also toured internationally with the US Air-force Airmen of Note Jazz ensemble, the military’s premiere jazz ensemble prior to receiving his MA. www.myspace.com/shawnpurcell. He has become one of the most active guitarists in Illinois. (MA Jazz Studies 2008) Saxophonist Mike Jenner is an active recording artist and free-lance performer in New Orleans. He is currently teaching a t the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts. NOCCA, a professional arts training center for secondary school-age children, has graduated celebrated jazz artists Nicholas Payton, Harry Connick Jr. and Wynton and Branford Marsalis. He is currently touring domestically with popular New Orleans jam band Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes and freelancing with many of the city’s finest artists, including Tony Dagradi, Johnny Vidacovich, John Mahoney, and members of Galactic, Papa Grows Funk, and Bonerama. Recent performances include the 40 th Annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, French Quarter Festival , Snug Harbor, Tipitina’s, and the Maple Leaf Bar. In addition to his activities in Nashville and New Orleans, he has also played professionally in his home town of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. http://www.sonicbids.com/JohnnySketchTheDirtyNotes (MA Jazz Studies 2004) Saxophonist Chris West is an active recording artist and performer and educator. He released his first solo album entitled Jazzmanic (available at CDBaby.com, and iTunes). The album consists of original jazz-funk and features some of Nashville's finest musicians including Jeff Coffin, Derico Watson, Alana Rocklin, Jim Williamson and Shawn Purcell. Chris is also performing with Country music Hall of Fame artist, Brenda Lee. Chris is also performing with the Dynamites who have toured throughout the United States and Europe. (Fall 2007) Finally, Chris performs with Chris also began teaching saxophone at Western Kentucky University as an adjunct in 2006. www.myspace.com/jazzmanic (MA Jazz Studies 2007) Currently Chris teaches recording arts and applied drum set at Eastern Kentucky University and plays with the EKU Faculty Jazz Quintet and as a sideman in the Lexington area. He is also working on the design and installation of a recording studio for Eastern Kentucky University. Over the years, he has worked with Don Aliquo, David Amram, Teresea Anderson, Darol Anger, Danny Barnes, Gail Bliss,, David Caradine, Vassar Clements, Jeff Coffin, Joe Craven, Clifford Curry, Doug Dillard, Jerry Douglas, Michael Falzarano, Rick Gordon, Tom Harrell, Jorma Kaukonen, Ronnie McDowell, John McEuen, Jonathan McEuen, Leon Medica, Tim O'Brien, Greg Osby, Anders Osborne, Mickey Rafael,, Jamey Simmons, Chester Thompson, Trout Fishing in America, Mike Utley, Snooky Young, Andrea Zonn, Brian Zonn, and Paul Zonn. Chris’s work with the group Trout Fishing in America has been Grammy nominated for Children’s Album of the year two times including in 2008. Chris also composed the sound track for the short film Ludwig: A Secret Life which was featured at the CMT film festival in New York. www.myspace.com/chrismunson23 (MA Jazz Studies 2007) Jeff’s work on guitarist Earl Klugh’s recent CD was nominated for a Grammy award in 2008 and he has toured throughout the world including appearances on national television as part of Klugh’s band. Jeff is busy dividing his time between course work and an active performing and teaching schedule. He is currently teaching the electric bass at Belmont University and Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee. Jeff has also toured and recorded with well-known artists, Kathy Trocolli, Sam Levine, Tim Watson and Beth Cayha. Other recent recordings would include, Peter Huttlinger - Things Are Looking Up; Melissa Lynn - My Heart Ain't Listening; Debra Soule - Sunhill Records – www.myspace.com/jeffecox Drummer Marcus Finnie is one of Nashville’s busiest jazz drummers and moved to the Nashville scene primarily for school at Middle Tennessee State University. There he studied Jazz and Percussion under Lalo Davila and Andy Smith and majored in Studio Production in the RIM program. While in school he performed with many great musicians such as Kirk Whalum, CeCe Winans and Victor Wooten. Recently he has been touring with Donna Summer, Larry Carlton and Billy Preston. He has recorded with Rodney Crowell, Billy Preston, Kirk Whalum and T D Jakes. Marcus Finnie endorses Vic Firth Drumsticks and Aqaurian Drumheads. http://www.myspace.com/stixfinnie (BA Jazz Studies 2006) Bassist Russell Wright is currently touring and performing with roots rock and Allman Brothers alumni, Johnny Neel whose song writing credits include Delbert McClinton and Willie Nelson. Wright is featured on their latest recording Johnny Neel and the Criminal Element - Vol. 1 on the Breakin' Records label. He has also co-written and recorded music that will be featured on Court TV next fall for a show entitled Bayou Busters and is currently working on his first solo record due out in the fall. www.myspace.com/russellwrightmusic (MA Jazz Studies 2008) Composer and arranger Socrates Garcia is currentlu pursuing his doctoral degree at the University of Northern Colorado. and previously taught jazz arranging and composition (2006) at the Santo Domingo Conservatory of Music. His recent jazz arrangement for big band (Just a Matter of Time) was performed and recorded by The Nashville Jazz Orchestra for their annual Writer's concert 2007. Socrates has been active as a producer, arranger and/or engineer in more than 30 albums, in many styles, including the Latin Grammy winner for Merengue Album of the year "Yo Por Ti" by Puerto Rican Artist Olga Tanon. Finally, he has released his own solo project entitled Suenos" ("Dreams") consisting of his compositions performed in collaboration with an all-star group of musicians from the Dominican Republic. www.myspace.com/socratesgarcia. (MA Jazz Studies 2005) Having studied Music Business/Management at Berklee College of Music Oscar moved to Nashville to work on Music Row. However, after a year in the music business he chose to pursue his masters in Jazz Studies at Middle Tennessee State University and graduated in May 2005. Today Oscar leads his own group, the Oscar Utterstrom-Christina Watson Quintet. The group toured in Oscar’s native country, Sweden during the summer of 2006 and released their new CD Home in 2008. Oscar is also an active arranger, having written horn arrangements for many different artists including jazz vocalist Christina Watson and My Morning Jacket with whom Oscar recently appeared at Bonnaroo and New Years Eve at Madison Square Garden. Internationally he has performed in China, South Korea, and Europe. When not performing with his own group, he can be heard with groups such as Afinke Salsa Orchestra, the Christina Watson Quintet, Halfbrass, and the Nashville Jazz Orchestra. http://www.oscarutterstrom.com/ (MA Jazz Studies 2002) Rich Adams is currently pursuing his doctorate at the University of Memphis and received his BM in jazz composition from Berklee College of Music in Boston and his MA from Middle Tennessee State University. Adams has been a leader of his own jazz groups and a sideman with numerous jazz artists. Adams works include compositions and arrangements for big band, jazz combo, string quartet, chamber orchestra, percussion ensemble, as well as electronic pieces and film scores. His string quartet, Journey of The Soul, was performed with the Vanderbilt University Modern Dance Group at the Langford Auditorium. Other credits include scoring music for the Epiphany Dance Company¹s performance of The Horse and His Boy, which premiered at The Tennessee Performing Arts Center in Nashville. Adams also completed scores for two documentary films, and an independent film which premiered at the Bellcourt Theater in Nashville. (MA Jazz Studies and Percussion 2005) Currently German is busy teaching as an adjunct instructor at Middle Tennessee State University. He has also been active as a percussion specialist for Oakland High School as well as an instructor for the after-school program Steel the Boro in Murfreesboro, TN. He is also teaching privately at the Reese Performing Arts Academy in Murfreesboro and the Global Education Center in Nashville. The Percussive Notes Journal published his recent article entitled “Afro-Cuban Facility Exercises for Drum set” and he is busy freelancing in the greater Nashville area with country artists like Diona Devin, with his own jazz septet and with Afinke Salsa Orchestra. German endorses Innovative Percussion sticks and mallets. www.myspace.com/germanbaratto (MA Jazz Studies 2008) Guitarist Matt Lund iscurrently teaching adjunct guitar at MTSU. He also is performing in a fusion band called The Jesse Williams Group ( Michigan), the Mark Sorrells Trio, ( Nashville) and a rock band called Stealing Seasons. Matt has released a jazz fusion CD, called The Lund Clements Churchill Trio, and a CD of his compositions for small ensembles called Matt Lund: Works. These were both independently released and are available on CD Baby. www.mattlundmusic.com (MA Jazz Studies 2005)Vocalist, Kelly Garner was appointed to a tenure-track faculty position at Belmont University ( Nashville) and is currently pursuing her doctorate at the University of Miami. (BA Jazz Studies 2004)Saxophonist Reagan Mitchell recently completed a Master’s degree in jazz studies at the University of Northern Colorado where he received a graduate assistantship. (BA Jazz Studies 2005, MA Jazz Studies 2007)Saxophonist Jason McVey is currently running a private saxophone studio in McMinville Tennessee. (BA Jazz Studies 2004) Bassist Geoff Henderson is busy freelancing in the greater Nashville area with the following groups, Gypsy Pompe (currently recording their debut record), Charlie Pate, Luke Pruitt and Moriah Harris, who Geoff has been touring with over the past year. He spent 2008 performing with jazz great Duffy Jackson. www.myspace.com/moriahharris Current Students /Graduates(MA Jazz Studies expected for 2010) Saxophonist and composer/arranger Ryan Middagh was recently mentioned in Down Beat, All About Jazz and Jazz Times magazines for his compositions that were recorded with the University of Northern Iowa Jazz Band One. Over the past year, he also received a prestigious Down Beat magazine award for his arranging and presented at the International Jazz Composers Symposium. An active free-lance musician he has worked on several cruise ships touring throughout the world. Many of his compositions are now published by UNC Jazz Press including: Lighthouse, Renovation and Let there Be Nothing. (MA Jazz Studies expected for 2010) Double bassist Jonathan Wires's focus is Jazz Composition. He was born in New Hampshire where he first learned from the few local musicians he could find. Jonathan then moved to Memphis TN in 1993 where he then received his BA degree from the University of Memphis Commercial Music program. He learned from and studied with musicians including Gene Rush, Tim Goodwin, Herman Green, John Chiego, Calvin Newborn, Alvin Fielder, Jim Spake and others. His many years of experience has included performances with some of Memphis's best known and unknown musicians. He has recorded with renowned opera soprano Kallen Esperian, Swedish songstress Louise Hoffsten, jazz percussionist Chad Anderson, pop-rocker Ross Rice, jazz singer Joyce Cobb, saxophonists Don Aliquo and Jeff Coffin and jazz pianist Michael Jefry Stevens. His development as a skillful improviser has placed him in performances with Frank Lowe, Billy Bang, Henry P. Warner Michael Marcus, Rhonda Richmond, master percussionist Alvin Fielder, and Cassandra Wilson. Jonathan also contributed to the soundtrack for Black Snake Moan Directed by Craig Brewer in 2006. Jonathan has had the fortune to have worked regionally all over the south in many performance settings including the Memphis in May Music Festival, New Orleans Jazz Festival, Zeitgeist Festival as well as performing at Lincoln Center in 2003 with Memphis based Jazz vocalist Kelley Hurt. Jonathan is also active in educational activities and organizations including: Peanut Butter & Jam Sessions, Memphis Arts Council, the Vermont Jazz Center, and has several years of teaching experience on the private level. (MA Jazz Studies expected for 2011) Richard Mraz is a woodwind doubler specializing in Jazz Studies, under the guidance of Don Aliquo. Mraz grew up in Sacramento, CA where he began studying flute in the 7th grade. After completing high school, he moved to Massachusetts to attend University of Massachusetts Amherst (Umass), where he graduated cum laude with his B.A. in Flute Performance and Music Education. While at Umass, Mraz studied flute with Christopher Krueger and jazz with Adam Kolker, David Sporny and Arturo O’Farrill. For the past 7 years, he has been working throughout New England as a teacher and freelance musician, performing with artists such as: Ernie Watts, Yusef Lateef, Arturo O’Farrill, Pete Yellin, Ali Ryerson and several others. During the 2006 and 2007 summer seasons, he was on staff at the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Twin Lake, MI as a flutist and instructor. Mraz is a member of several professional organizations, including the Greater Boston Flute Association, where he is a contributing writer for their publication, The Gazette. He is currently employed by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines as a ship musician. (MA Jazz Studies expected for 2010) Jonathan is an electric bassist specializing in Jazz Studies. In 2003 he was awarded a dual Bachelor of Music degree cum laude in Film Scoring and Jazz Composition from the Berklee College of Music. While at Berklee, he earned a reputation as an innovative and sophisticated composer. His work has been featured at the Regattabar Spring Jazz Festival, the Institute for Contemporary Art, Boston Center for the Arts, Berklee Performance Center and in Los Angeles at Steamer's and the Jazz Bakery. He has had works premiered through student and faculty events at Bridgewater State College, Dartmouth University, Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Recordings of his compositions have appeared on “Jazz with Eric in the Evening” on WGBH 89.7 FM, hosted by Eric Jackson, as well as on National Public Radio’s “Here & Now.” They have been mentioned in such publications as The Boston Globe, the Boston Herald, Improper Bostonian, Boston Magazine and Arts Boston, among others. Such notable recording artists as Walter Beasley and Hiromi Uehara have performed his arrangements. Following graduation from Berklee Jonathan co-founded Modern Art Movement: The Boston School, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts production firm, aimed at producing socially relevant arts events in the Boston area. In 2006 Jonathan relocated to Nashville, where he is active as a freelance musician, averaging over 100 performances per year. He also is intimately involved in music education, both as a volunteer at W. O. Smith Community Music School and as a graduate teaching assistant at MTSU during academic year 2008-09. Current Students/Undergraduates
Undergraduate Jazz Studies major, Leonard Xavier Walker, was chosen by audition for Disneyland Resorts' All-American College Band! Leonard was chosen as one of only five saxophonists throughout the entire United States. The 11-week program in Los Angeles gives top college musicians from throughout the United States an opportunity to learn about the entertainment industry first-hand through performances at a Disney Theme Park, clinics with world-renown artists and experiences in nearby Hollywood. Directed by Internationally acclaimed Director of Jazz Studies, Ron McCurdy (USC), the student-musicians receive invaluable educational experiences with industry-pro clinicians such as Wayne Bergeron, Dan Higgins, and Jiggs Whigham -- to name a few. Students also complete a major educational project reflecting one of the following tracks: Composition and Arranging; Careers in Music; Recording and Production. Undergraduate music education major Cord Martin recently participated in the Instrumental Jazz Camp in Jacksonville Oregon as part of the Peter Britt Music Festival. Cord acted as a camp teaching assistant and also assistant camp counselor for the dorm students. In addition, Cord performed with the top jazz ensemble as a soloist and participated in a master class given by trumpeter Chris Botti. A student of Don Aliquo’s, he plays both tenor and alto saxophone. More information about Cord is online at the Britt Website and Blog. http://brittinstitute.wordpress.com/ |