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The 12th Annual Moores School of Music Jazz Festival

Presented by Moores School of Music at University of Houston - Moores Opera House

February 19-February 20, 2010

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The University of Houston Moores School of Music presents The 12th Annual Moores School of Music Jazz Festival, February 19 & 20, 2010. Guest artist, Brian Lynch (pictured, photo by Nick Ruechel), trumpet. Featuring the Texas Music Festival Jazz Project and the Moores School Jazz Orchestra.

"This is the end of the century, and a lot of music has gone down, I think that to be a straight-ahead jazz musician now means drawing on a wider variety of things than 30 or 40 years ago. Not to play a little bit of this or a little bit of that, but to blend everything together into something that sounds good. It doesn't sound like pastiche or shifting styles; it's people with a lot of knowledge."

Few musicians embody this 21st century credo as profoundly as trumpeter, composer and teacher, Brian Lynch. A respected insider within both the hardcore bebop and Latin communities, Lynch is comfortable negotiating the complexities of clave with Afro-Caribbean pioneer Eddie Palmieri as he is swinging through advanced harmony with bebop maestro Phil Woods.

Lynch grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he apprenticed on a high level with such local residents as pianist Buddy Montgomery and organist Melvin Rhyne, while earning a degree from the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. Located in San Diego in 1980-81, he gained further valuable experience in the group of alto master Charles McPherson. Towards the end of 1981, Lynch moved to New York, and soon linked up with the Horace Silver Quintet (1982-1985) and the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra (1982-1988). Simultaneously, he played and recorded on the Latin scene with salsa bandleader Angel Canales (1982-83) and legendary cantante Hector LaVoe (1983-87). He began his association with Eddie Palmieri in 1987, and at the end of 1988 joined what turned out to be the final edition of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. He began his association with Phil Woods in 1992, and also worked frequently with Benny Golson around this time.

In 1986, Lynch recorded his first album as a leader, Peer Pressure. There followed Back Room Blues and At The Main Event, In Process, Keep Your Circle Small, and a string of sideman dates with Art Blakey and Phil Woods. A 1997 recording called Spheres of Influence, which earned a 4- 1/2 star Downbeat review, was Lynch's first project to reflect the panoramic range of interests that influence his working life as a musician. During these years he documented cross-cultural investigations with Eddie Palmieri's seminal Afro-Caribbean Jazz Octet. As the ‘90s progressed, he steadily refined his concept, eventually collaborating with Palmieri as an arranger, cocomposer and musical director. In a rare gesture, Palmieri took advantage of Lynch's pen on the recent albums La Perfecta II and Ritmo Caliente. The synchronistic nature of their relationship was documented when Lynch and Palmieri collaborated on the Grammy Award-winning album, Simpático, in 2006.

But don't think Lynch has forgotten about his roots. His evolution into a major postbop stylist is apparent on 2000's Tribute To The Trumpet Masters, an instant classic on which Lynch, blending superlative technique with deep soul, pays forward-thinking homage to trumpet lineage spanning Dizzy Gillespie to Woody Shaw. Brian Lynch Meets Bill Charlap is a nuanced, interactive 2003 collaboration with the renowned pianist, and long-time Woods bandmate. "It's the kind of standard fare—ballads, bebop and blues—that is often lackluster in the hands of lesser bands, but brings out the best in these masterful musicians," wrote Russ Musto in All About Jazz.

Seeking to share his knowledge with others and to keep in touch with the fundamentals of his art, Lynch has turned increasingly to teaching in recent years. He currently holds faculty positions at New York University and the North Netherlands Conservatory, has taught at the Stanford Jazz Workshop, and has conducted workshops in numerous major institutes of learning, including The Eastman School of Music, Dartmouth University, the University of North Texas, and Columbia University, among many others. Many of today's finest young jazz trumpeters call him a mentor. Brian is proud, but it works both ways: the interchange of ideas between himself and the "youngbloods" challenges him to keep it real and keep practicing!

Schedule of Performances:

Friday, February 19
9am – 12pm Middle school and high school bands perform for judges in the Moores Opera House
12 – 1pm Clinic and performance by guest artist Brian Lynch, trumpet
1 – 5:30pm Middle school and high school bands perform for judges in the Moores Opera House
7:30pm Performance by the Texas Music Festival Jazz Project, a big band featuring professionals from all over Texas

Saturday, February 20
9am –12pm Middle school and high school bands perform for judges in the Moores Opera House
12 – 1pm Clinic and performance by guest artist Brian Lynch, trumpet
1 – 5:30pm Middle school and high school bands perform for judges in the Moores Opera House
7:30pm Performance by the Moores School of Music Jazz Orchestra, featuring guest artist, Brian Lynch

All events are in the Moores Opera House.

Our Commitment to Jazz Education
The annual Moores School of Music Jazz Festival invites middle school and high school jazz ensembles to perform in the Moores Opera House for a panel of distinguished jazz artists. Our festival will be organized according to IAJE guidelines and will include a private clinic/commentary session by one member of the panel. Although this festival is not competitive, it includes a trophy system that will single out top performances by individuals and groups.

The festival trophy list includes:

* 50 All-Star Trophies (25 given each day to outstanding performers)
* Outstanding Soloist of the Day
* Outstanding Soloist of the Festival
* Outstanding Middle School Ensemble of the Day
* Outstanding High School Ensemble of the Day
* Outstanding Middle School Ensemble of the Festival
* Outstanding High School Ensemble of the Festival
* Outstanding Ensemble of the Festival

Our guest artist will be presenting a free one-hour clinic with the assistance of the MSM Jazz Orchestra beginning at noon. This free clinic is open to the public.