UNT's One O'Clock Lab Band performs spring concert with alumnus Billy Harper and The Cookers

Tuesday, January 28, 2014 - 19:08
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What: The One O’Clock Lab Band’s spring Glenn E. Gomez Endowment concert will feature The Cookers, a band that includes alumnus Billy Harper on tenor saxophone and alumnus David Weiss on trumpet. Harper was the first African-American to earn a spot in the One O’Clock Lab Band, in 1964.

When: 8 p.m. Feb. 6 (Thursday)

Where: Winspear Hall at the Murchison Performing Arts Center, 2100 Interstate 35 Frontage Road, Denton. The concert will also be streamed online at http://UNTmusiclive.com.

Tickets: $15 for adults; $10 for senior citizens, students, children, UNT faculty/staff/retirees and groups of 10 or more. Purchase online at www.theMPAC.com/tickets or by calling Murchison Box Office at 940-369-7802.

What else: Known as “one of the last great tough-toned tenors from Texas,” Harper will perform and discuss his time as a tenor saxophone player from 2-3:20 p.m. Feb. 4 (Tuesday) in the Recital Hall at the UNT College of Music as part of the spring Jazz Lecture Series. The lecture is free and open to the public.

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DENTON, Texas (UNT) – UNT’s One O’Clock Lab Band will perform with The Cookers on Feb. 6, in a concert made possible by the Glenn E. Gomez International Artists Endowment for Jazz Studies. The concert is part of a residency by saxophonist Billy Harper.

Known as “one of the last great tough-toned tenors from Texas,” Billy Harper was the first African-American to join the One O’Clock Lab Band in the spring of 1964. He went on to work with jazz greats like Max Roach, Donald Byrd and Gil Evans. He will be an artist-in-residence with the Division of Jazz Studies for the week of Feb. 3.

Later in the week, David Weiss, trumpet player with The Cookers and also a UNT alumnus, will join Harper in his residency at the Division of Jazz Studies. The rest of the band will be on campus to participate in the residency on Feb. 6, prior to the concert.

“This year’s Gomez residency is special because our guest artists are a working band,” said John Murphy, chair of the Division of Jazz Studies. “When they hear this group, students and the public will feel the high level of intensity and communication that are possible when a group has been working together consistently.”

The first half of the concert, which starts at 8 p.m., will feature The Cookers, a band made up of veteran jazz performers that includes Billy Harper, tenor saxophone; David Weiss, trumpet; Donald Harrison, alto saxophone; George Cables, piano; Cecil McBee, bass; and Billy Hart, drums. Then, they’ll all join the One O’Clock Lab Band for a set featuring original music by Harper.

Tickets are $15 for adults; $10 for senior citizens, students, children, UNT faculty/staff/retirees and groups of 10 or more. Purchase online at www.theMPAC.com/tickets or by calling the Murchison Box Office at 940-369-7802.

The week of the concert, Harper will work with students in the jazz studies program at the College of Music, appearing as a guest artist for the spring Jazz Lecture Series. Harper will perform and speak to students from 2-3:20 p.m. Feb. 4 (Tuesday) in the Recital Hall at the UNT College of Music. The lecture series is free and open to the public.

 

About the Glenn E. Gomez Endowment

The Glenn E. Gomez International Artists Endowment for Jazz Studies enables UNT's College of Music to bring internationally known jazz artists to the university for extended periods of time, fostering relationships between the artists and UNT students. Since the endowment was established in 1994 by Glenn Gomez, a graduate of UNT’s College of Business and long-time fan of jazz, distinguished guests have included Michael and Randy Brecker, Dave Brubeck and John Clayton.

About the UNT One O'Clock Lab Band

The six-time Grammy-nominated UNT One O'Clock Lab Band – the premiere ensemble of UNT's Jazz Studies  program in the College of Music – has performed and toured throughout the world, including Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Switzerland, Thailand and The Netherlands. UNT offered the nation's first bachelor's degree program in jazz studies in 1947, and the university's jazz studies program is consistently rated among the nation's best.

About the UNT College of Music

The UNT College of Music is one of the largest and most respected comprehensive music schools in the country. More than 1,600 music students attend UNT each year, participating in more than 50 widely varied ensembles and pursuing specialized studies in performance, composition, music education or music scholarship. UNT faculty members and students have made appearances on the world’s finest stages and have produced numerous recordings, many receiving Grammy awards and nominations. Distinguished UNT alumni can be found around the globe, in top music ensembles, opera companies, universities and schools.

 

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