Rehearsing the Jazz Band, Edited by Mary Jo Papich and Ryan Adams

Abstract

JazzEducationinResearchandPractice Vol. 2, No. 1 • Copyright ©TheTrustees of Indiana University • DOI 10.2979/jazzeducrese.2.1.17 Rehearsing the Jazz Band Edited by Mary Jo Papich and Ryan Adamsons Meredith Music Publications, 2019. M ore than a decade into their Rehearsing the Band series of pedagogical guides, Meredith Music Publishing released their first volume dedicated to jazz, Rehearsing the Jazz Band, in late 2019. The editorial duo for this volume is Jazz Education Network cofounder and veteran public-school educator and administrator Mary Jo Papich and jazz trumpeter, composer, and educator Ryan Adamsons. The editors followed the general format of the series and selected a diverse array of 12 of the most successful and highly skilled jazz educators and performers to contribute chapters detailing their distinct philosophies and methods that inform their direction of large jazz bands. This collection provides the reader with intimate portraits of each author’s approach to directing large jazz ensembles, promoted by Meredith Music as giving readers access to these directors’ virtual practice rooms. Equally impactful is the exploration into these outstanding and accomplished jazz educators’ ideologies and passion for teaching and sharing the jazz big band tradition. The contributing authors represent a wide range of experiences in instrumental jazz education and performance. Author perspectives range from those Brian Casey is a jazz bassist, educator, and researcher based in Colorado. Casey serves as Assistant Professor of Academic Jazz at the University of Northern Colorado and earned a DMA in Jazz Studies from the University of Colorado Boulder where he taught courses in Humanities, Jazz Studies, and American Music. Prior to moving to Colorado, Casey earned a MM in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas where he played with the Grammy-nominated One O’Clock Lab Band and served as a Teaching Fellow in Jazz Bass under the direction of Professor Lynn Seaton. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Casey has performed and/or recorded with Eric Skye, Pink Martini, Weber Iago, Henry Butler, Robert Johnson, MaryLynn Gillaspie, and many others. Casey has presented original research in jazz-related fields at many national and international conferences , including those of the College Music Society, the Jazz Education Network and the International Society of Bassists. Casey’s research interests include the intersection of jazz and American literature, politics, and society and the role of jazz in the civil rights struggle in America as well as jazz as a cultural phenomenon in New Orleans. Rehearsing the Jazz Band 229 with extensive careers working with middle school and high school bands, to those who primarily direct collegiate or professional large jazz ensembles. Among those focused primarily on precollege groups are Caleb Chapman, José Antonio Diaz, Curtis Gaesser, and Roosevelt Griffin, III. Collegiate jazz band specialists include Antonio Garcia, Ellen Rowe, Roxanne Stevenson, Steve Wiest, and Greg Yasinitsky. Rounding out the roster are leaders of professional jazz large ensembles who have demonstrated a lifelong commitment to jazz education, John Clayton, Gordon Goodwin, and Sherrie Maricle. This diversity in author selection is highly effective, particularly as specific methods and approaches are reinforced by directors at all levels. All authors approach their chapters with an awareness of a diverse readership, so there are few passages that are only relevant to a smaller audience. While the quality of information and perspective presented in each chapter is quite high, it is this diversity of perspective and accessibility to all readers that make this volume an excellent addition to the library of anyone interested in jazz education and performance in general and jazz big band direction specifically. Because each chapter is written in the first person from the viewpoint of the author, there is a decided intimacy in each director’s narrative. Reading these direct perspectives from the pens of such an outstanding array of jazz educators provides a conversational element to the book, as if the reader was having a chat with each contributor. Understanding the motivations and rationale behind decisions these directors make and the methods they use through this candid format makes the content come to life. In a similar way, the diversity of the experiences of these authors is reflected in their distinctive style of prose, which increases the impression of...