A rare interview with the founder of the Jazz Studies program at UNT in 1947, Dr. Gene Hall, and Leon Breeden who followed him in 1959. These were the first two directors of the program, which was the first in the country to offer jazz courses for credit. Dr. Hall mentions how the term “stage band” got started. You could not use the word “jazz” in those days in a college setting.
This was our opening tune on May 15, 1975 at KERA TV in Dallas, TX. It is a Thad Jones composition called “61st & Rich It”. Flugelhorn solo is by Clay Jenkins who is now the jazz instructor at the Eastman School of Music. Jim Milne on piano, and Marc Johnson on bass.
This was our singer that year, who also went on the Russian trip the following month. She is now Dr. Lebon and teaches at the University of Miami in the jazz vocal department.
This was a tune arranged by our percussionist, Gene Glover, called “St.Thomas”. It was a fun piece to play, and really shows the power of our lead trumpet player, Chuck Schmidt. This tune was played in May of 1976 during a KERA TV taping.