The Modern Band is a jazz rooted ensemble with a primary focus on repertoire that encompasses innovative trends in jazz of the last decade.
Ensemble members will also be exposed to a wide range of musical influences that have pushed the boundaries of jazz as an art form forward into its current state. Students are encouraged to write original material for the ensemble while searching for the musical innovations of the artists of their generation to apply to the sound of the group and its repertoire.
The objective of the musical experience is for the ensemble members to collectively experiment with and apply their own individual musical musings and aesthetics towards creating a personalized and original body of work while looking towards innovation to help them forward.
Audition:
Thursday, September 26, 2024
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
no sign up necessary
More Info
Students are encouraged to bring repertoire of their choosing to perform solo or with any combination of instrumentalists that are available at the time. Students should audition with what they are most comfortable with, however improvisation in a modern style of your choosing and/or free improvisation are recommended. Students may further be asked to perform an improvisation with any combination of musicians that will be auditioning.
**Examples of possible audition repertoire to choose from include a jazz standard, a Monk or an Ornette original, a selection from Schoenberg's "Book of Hanging Gardens" or an Ives "Song", a Beatles classic to a Radiohead tune, to any piece from one of today's musical artists of personal inspiration. Student originals are encouraged.
Studio Jazz Ensemble – MUSEN 346/546 B
Rehearsals are Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30 pm – 2:20 pm
Director Bio
Cuong Vu is widely recognized by jazz critics as a leader of a generation of innovative musicians. A truly unique musical voice, Cuong has lent his trumpet playing to a wide range of artists such as Pat Metheny, Laurie Anderson, and David Bowie.
As a youngster, Cuong's intense dedication and love for music led him to a full scholarship at the New England Conservatory of Music where he received his Bachelor of Music in Jazz studies with a distinction in performance. Transitioning from his studies in Boston, he moved to New York in 1994 and began his career actively leading various groups while touring extensively throughout the world. As a leader, Cuong has released eight recordings, each making critics’ lists of the 10 best recordings of their respective years and has received rave reviews from notable publications such as the New York Times, The New Yorker, Harper’s, the Guardian, BBC Music Magazine, JazzTimes and Downbeat. Each record displays how he has carved out a distinctive sonic territory as a trumpet player, blurring all stylistic borders while developing his own compositional aesthetic and sound world.
Awards and honors that Cuong has garnered include grants from the Royalty Research Foundation, the Donald E. Petersen Professorship, ArtistTrust, 4Culture, CityArts and the Colbert Award for Excellence. Cuong is currently associate professor and chair of Jazz Studies at the University of Washington and was awarded the University of Washington's prestigious Distinguished Teacher Award in his third year on faculty. In 2002 and 2006, Cuong was a recipient of the Grammy for Best Contemporary Jazz Album as a member of the Pat Metheny Group. He’s been recognized as one of the top 50 Jazz Artists in an article called “The New Masters” from the British magazine, “Classic CD” and in 2006 was named the Best International Jazz Artist by the Italian Jazz Critics’ Society. Amazon listed Vu’s “Come Play With Me” on their “The 100 Greatest Jazz Albums of All Time.”