[154] Jazz Artist Series Hosts Grammy-Winning Saxophonist Bob MIntzer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 20, 2009
CONTACT: Tim Musselman, MTSU School of Music, 615-898-2493

JAZZ ARTIST SERIES HOSTS GRAMMY-WINNING SAXOPHONIST BOB MINTZER

(MURFREESBORO)—The 2009-2010 MTSU Jazz Artist Series will kick off the new season with saxophonist, recording artist and composer Bob Mintzer, alongside the MTSU Jazz Ensemble I, at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 12 in the Wright Music Building’s Hinton Hall on the MTSU campus.
“We are thrilled to have Bob Mintzer at MTSU as an artist in residence, said Don Aliquo, coordinator of jazz studies at MTSU. "His compositions are as fun to play as they are to listen to and his artistry as a jazz saxophonist has been at the forefront of the music for over 20 years."
Mintzer has had a diverse career as a freelance musician in New York City. He is an 18-year member of the Grammy-winning band Yellowjackets and has recorded 12 CDs with the lineup.
The creator of more than 200 big-band arrangements spanning a 34-year career, many of which are performed all over the world by both student and pro bands, Mintzer’s own big band has been nominated for four Grammy trophies and was awarded a Grammy for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Recording in 2001 with “Homage to Count Basie” on the DMP label.
MTSU Jazz Ensemble I is the top-performing large ensemble in the jazz studies program. It features the most experienced student players and concentrates on the most challenging literature and master works from the big-band repertoire.
"This is a great way to begin our series," Aliquo noted.
•TICKETS: Jazz Artist Series tickets, $15 per person and free for MTSU students, faculty and staff with a valid ID, will be available at the door.
For more information on this and other events in the music school at MTSU, please call 615-898-2493 or visit www.mtsumusic.com.




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With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.