Jazz Greats Return to UNT to Honor Two Retired Directors

Jazz stars from across the country will return to their roots at the University of North Texas Nov. 22 to pay tribute to two recently retired directors.

Neil Slater and James Riggs retired in August after lengthy careers leading UNT's two top jazz bands - the One O'Clock and Two O'Clock Lab Bands, respectively. UNT will honor Slater, a noted composer, and Riggs, who also served as Regents Professor of saxophone at UNT, in a special jazz reunion concert on Nov. 22 (Saturday) in the UNT Coliseum, southeast corner of North Texas Boulevard and Highland Street. A program celebrating their achievements will begin at 6 p.m., followed by the concert at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $5 to $60. The $60 tickets include a pre-concert dinner at 6 p.m.

"Neil Slater and James Riggs have brought our jazz studies program to a peak of excellence that we will strive to build on for the future," said John Murphy, interim chair of the UNT Division of Jazz Studies. "Their leadership has set a standard of artistry that is a model not only for us but for jazz educators nationally. We invite alumni and friends of UNT jazz to join us to celebrate their achievements and to kick off the jazz leadership fund drive, which will support jazz studies scholarships for many years to come."

The evening includes performances by four alumni bands, organized by decade from the 1970s and earlier to the 2000s. A few noted alumni who will perform include:

· saxophonist Dan Higgins, who has recorded with such artists as Phil Collins, Cher, and Randy Newman;

· prolific composer/arranger Mark Taylor;

· trombonist Scott Whitfield, who has played with Nat Adderley, the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra and more;

· drummer Earl Harvin, who has worked with such artists and producers as Seal and the French band Air;

· saxophonist Dave Pietro, who has toured or recorded with the bands of Woody Herman, Maynard Ferguson and more;

· trumpeter Frank Greene, who has played lead trumpet for Ferguson, the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni Orchestra, and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and for many Broadway shows and films;

· composer Alan Baylock, chief arranger for the USAF Airmen of Note and leader of his own big band;

· guitarist Kevin Brunkhorst, who teaches in the music department of St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia;

· drummer Ari Hoenig, who has played with the Jean Michel Pilc Trio and the Kenny Werner Trio;

· pianist Jon Ballantyne, who has performed with Paul Bley, Joe Lovano, and Joe Henderson;

· and bassist Matt Wigton, a recent graduate who is active on the New York jazz scene.

For a complete list, visit <http://www.jazz.unt.edu/?q=node/670>.

Another UNT legend - Paris Rutherford, director of the UNT Jazz Singers - is slated to retire after the 2008-09 school year. Rutherford will be honored in a special event in May.

When: 6 p.m. program; 7:30 p.m. concert Nov. 22 (Saturday)

Information from UNT Press Release