WSU music student soloists and ensembles won several first place awards at the 2019 Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival this past weekend in Moscow, Idaho.
Ensemble winners include WSU Jazz Big Band I, and WSU combos: Jazz Wires and God’s Harmony. Student solo winners include Raul Blanco, piano; Brandt Fisher, tenor saxophone; Joel Roeber, guitar and Outstanding Soloist, Adam Hureau, clarinet.
Greg Yasinitsky’s commissioned big band piece “JEN-TEN,” written in honor of the 10th anniversary of the Jazz Education Network, was premiered at the keynote session of the 2019 international JEN Conference in January.
It was performed by the JEN All Star Big Band with Yasinitsky, a WSU Regents professor, conducting, and featured some of the most acclaimed musicians in the world.
The Washington State University School of Music is excited to announce that six student ensemble performances this semester will be available via livestream.
“We want to make the WSU Pullman Music experience available to everyone, whether you live in Pullman, graduated from WSU, have children performing on our stages, are thinking about pursuing a career in music or just love listening to a live concert,” said Dean Luethi, director of the WSU School of Music.
“YAZZ Band,” the recently released compact disc from Greg Yasinitsky, the School of Music Regent’s Professor, has received significant national attention, including a feature in Down Beat magazine — the “Jazz Bible” — and on the Public Radio International show “Jazz After Hours.”
The disc also features WSU School of Music faculty members Sarah Miller, Brian Ward and David Jarvis, along with WSU alumni Patrick Sheng and PJ Kelley, and WSU Professor Emerita Ann Marie Yasinitsky. “YAZZ Band” was recorded in the WSU Recording Studio by WSU Recording Engineer David Bjur.
As of late January, “YAZZ Band” has appeared for 14 weeks on national radio play lists including the North American College and Community Top 30, and Roots Music Report’s Top 50 Jazz Album charts, and the Jazzweek top 50. “YAZZ Band ” was listed as one of the “CDs of the Year – Big Bands” by Bebop Spoken Here in the United Kingdom and the CD has received a number of enthusiastic reviews internationally.
The latest album from Washington State University School of Music Regent’s Professor Dr. Greg Yasinitsky is receiving international attention. “YAZZ Band” was recorded at WSU and also features faculty members Sarah Miller, Brian Ward, David Jarvis along with alumni Patrick Sheng and PJ Kelley and Professor Emerita Ann Marie Yasinitsky. The CD has been featured on Public Radio International and has appeared on jazz radio playlists around the country for several weeks. “YAZZ Band” is available for download and purchase on ITunes, Amazon, CDBaby and streaming on Apple Music and Spotify.