DENTON (UNT), Texas - Seventy years ago, the University of North Texas launched the now-acclaimed Jazz Studies program, the first of its kind in the nation.
To commemorate the milestone, UNT’s College of Music will release a series of special, limited edition CDs to the public this year.
“This is indeed a very big year for the Jazz Studies Division,” said Craig Marshall, Lab Bands Manager. “It is a great opportunity for us to reconnect with our numerous alumni across the country who are represented on these recordings. We think it is important to honor the excellence and vast bodies of work from our musicians.”
The first CD, Perseverance — The Music of Rich DeRosa at North Texas, will be released March 25 (Saturday) at the UNT Wingspan Gala. The Wingspan committee will present 500 CDs to VIPs and guests at the event and DeRosa, Professor of Jazz Studies at UNT, will receive the President’s Excellence Award. Perseverance includes DeRosa’s Grammy-nominated track “Neil.”
The second project, Legacy — Neil Slater at North Texas, will include a four CD box set, a 156-page book and hundreds of archival photos spanning Slater’s career. Scheduled for release on April 28 (Friday), the set is a tribute to Slater, Professor Emeritus and the longest-tenured director of the One O’Clock Lab Band.
“The Legacy box set will be a true landmark for UNT, even among our massive recording catalog,” Marshall said. “This project is already garnering interest from our alumni, who want to honor Neil Slater and UNT’s jazz program.”
The release date for Legacy is set to coincide with the Denton Arts & Jazz Festival, the last major concert of the school year for the division of Jazz Studies. The UNT Showcase Stage will feature every ensemble in the division and UNT will promote the CD release throughout the weekend.
The two other CDs, Airstream Artistry — Jim Riggs Best of the Two O'Clock and Hey Now! — Jay Saunders Best of the Two O'Clock, will be released this fall.
Both are two-disc sets featuring the best of Professors Emeritus Riggs and Saunders, who selected the tracks and includes commentary on why they selected each tune.
In addition, the One O’Clock Lab Band will release its annual CD, Lab 2017, this fall. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the annual lab band album release. To celebrate, the band will release Lab 2017 on CD, digital download, and for the first time since 1987, vinyl.
“We hope to reconnect with audiences through greater availability and generate new listeners through expanded outlets and media formats,” Marshall said. “With a resurgence in vinyl in recent years, it made perfect sense to release this in record format.”
All CDs will be available for purchase through CD Baby and Amazon; digital distribution via iTunes, Pandora and Spotify; and through the UNT College of Music online store and Pender’s Music.
Special projects are:
Perseverance — The Music of Rich DeRosa at North Texas
Release date: March 25, 2017
Price: $15
Legacy — Neil Slater at North Texas
(4 CD Box Set, the complete Neil Slater recordings)
Release date: April 28, 2017
Price: $40