Research Description: Lou Donaldson, a legendary alto saxophonist, shaped the sound of hard bop and soul jazz. This presentation explores his vibrant career, groundbreaking recordings, and lasting impact. It'll highlight his mentorship of future jazz greats, including George Benson and Grant Green, celebrating Donaldson's role in advancing jazz and discovering remarkable talent.
Research Description: In this Research Presentation, I will be connecting my artistic practices to the musical and societal contributions of my great-great grandfather, Professor James Brown Humphrey. A 19th Century cornetist and music educator who has been recognized my some researchers as the "Grandfather of Jazz."
Research Description: This presentation explores how New York City's jazz community adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the resilience of musicians and clubs through livestreaming, new technologies, and grassroots support. It draws parallels to the 1918 pandemic and reaffirms jazz’s enduring role as a force for creativity and community.
Research Description: Dave Brubeck's early collective Octet was inspired by the teachings of Modernist Darius Milhaud. This analysis of the Octet's body of work will address how Brubeck, and the other composers in the collective, applied Modernist compositional techniques to arrangements of jazz standards in unique and exciting ways.
Research Description: The purpose of this presentation is to compare Jelly Roll Morton’s published sheet music to his autograph manuscripts and contextualize these documents within his professional life.
Research Description: This research highlights how Creole culture in New Orleans has had an immense impact on the development of jazz. Functions of Creole identity, cultural values, and heritage will be demonstrated to be foundational in how jazz has developed as a specific genre that uniquely blends multiple cultural perspectives.
Research Description: The left hand comping techniques used by Wynton Kelly, Hank Jones, Bud Powell, Herbie Hancock, and Bill Evans during their solos are transcribed and analyzed. Voicings, rhythmic usage, and roles of the comping are identified and implementation strategies are presented.
Research Description: This study explores how South Korean musicians received and reimagined African diasporic jazz during the postwar era, adapting it into localized forms through performance for Black GIs and U.S. military media. It introduces The Korean Tinge to describe this reinterpretation as a catalyst for sonic modernity and early K-pop foundations.
Research Description: In this presentation, I will share my experiences from teaching jazz in China for nine years, and suggest approaches to address challenges of distance (temporal, geographical and cultural) and issues of classroom diversity through contemporary education methods, teaching alternate and micro-histories and utilization of technology.
Research Description: The goal of this investigation was to uncover stereotyping effects through gendered visual representations of jazz performers in tthree conditions. Results indicated a highly significant interaction between visual condition and participant sex, a significant main effect of musical aspect and musicians’ sex.
Research Description: This research presentation studies the evolution, and impact of nationally-recognized organizations that work to support women in jazz. Research focuses on groups from the 1970s through the present day that work to recover overlooked women in jazz history, foster mentorship opportunities, and advocate for equity in the greater jazz community.
Research Description: Explores The Global Influences That Shaped American Jazz From The 1970s Through 2000, Including Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, Indian, Balkan, And African Traditions. Highlights Key Figures, Cross-Cultural Collaborations, And Jazz’s Role In Responding To A Globalizing World.
Research Description: This project examines the musical style, career, and influence of jazz trombonist Bennie Green, highlighting his distinct voice in the development of mid-20th-century jazz. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Green blended elements of swing, bebop, and rhythm and blues, creating a warm, melodic, and accessible sound that set him apart.
Research Description: This research explores North American jazz elements and their influence on the Dominican Republic's music and culture. It discusses African musical characteristics brought to New Orleans by Haitians, and how these topics relate to those found in Dominican merengue, understanding the relationship between African, North American, and Caribbean rhythms.
Research Description: How can transcription produce new musical compositions? I explore the cross-temporal nature of transcriptions resulting in new compositions. I focus on Geri Allen’s original composition “Dolphy’s Dance,” which builds on Allen’s transcriptions of Eric Dolphy. After Heller, I theorize “Dolphy’s Dance” as a "retrospective collaboration" between Allen, Dolphy, and others.
Research Description: Dr. Andrew Schiller Shares His Analyses of the Collaborative Accompaniment Techniques Deployed by Bassist Scott LaFaro with the Bill Evans Trio, Illuminating the Group’s Role in the Evolution of Ensemble Interplay and Demonstrating How the Bassist’s Specific Conversational Methods Contribute to the Trio’s Concept of Simultaneous Improvisation.
Research Description: This presentation examines how integrating jazz concepts—such as harmony, improvisation, and phrasing—into popular guitar curricula can broaden students’ musical fluency. By leveraging stylistic familiarity, educators can cultivate deeper artistic engagement, promote versatility, and introduce jazz as a meaningful and accessible extension of contemporary guitar study.
Performance Description: Conventional Jazz Band charts from 1940's through today. A variety of Big Band genre coverage. Woody Herman, Al Cohn, and Sebesky, are among the few of the composers and arrangements covered. Various soloists, styles, and full coverage of the Jazz idiom. Guest artist from the Sacramento area representing our City.
Performance Description: Trumpeter and composer Rachel Therrien brings fiery brilliance to the stage with her Latin Jazz Project, featuring music from her eighth album, Mi Hogar II. Graduate of Havana’s Instituto Superior de Arte and a leading voice in global jazz, Therrien delivers high-octane originals and vibrant takes on Latin jazz classics.
Performance Description: Preservation Hall Jazz Band brings to life the powerful soundtrack of A Tuba to Cuba, the critically acclaimed documentary directed by T.G. Herrington and Danny Clinch. You’ll hear how Cuban rhythms mix with the brass band style of New Orleans to create something powerful, fun, and unique.
Performance Description: Ted Nash's Presidential Suite: Eight Variations on Freedom is a Grammy-winning jazz suite inspired by iconic 20th-century political speeches on freedom. Each movement transforms the rhythms and cadences of speeches by leaders like JFK, FDR, and Mandela into expressive big band compositions, blending history and music.
