MÉLANGE
MUSIC FOR TRUMPET AND PIANO

DEAN McNEILL trumpet / flugelhorn
JON BALLANTYNE jazz piano
BONNIE NICHOLSON classical piano

$14.95  ~  MS1294

Repertoire: The thematic component to this project is that of instrumentation (i.e. music for trumpet and piano) rather than musical genre. Repertoire and inspiration were gleaned from both jazz and classical sources. This project showcases Western Canadian talent (composers and performers) with the exception of Soul Mates composed by Dan Hearle and the jazz standards Tenderly and I Want To Talk About You.

Western Canadian Repertoire: The idea to focus half the repertoire for this disc on Western Canadian composers emerged from working with University of Saskatchewan graduate student Daniel Funk who recently compiled a database of classical repertoire for trumpet by Canadian prairie composers. This database was part of Daniel’s Master’s degree in Brass Pedagogy. Composers Dr. David Kaplan and Elizabeth Raum were approached and asked if they had any solo pieces for trumpet and piano that could be considered for this project. Both Variation for Trumpet and Aria for Trumpet were delivered shortly thereafter. Variation for Trumpet was originally composed for flute in 1996. Special thanks to both Elizabeth and David for preparing these works for this recording.

Jazz Repertoire: The jazz repertoire is a stylistic cross-section of compositions selected by Dean McNeill including jazz standards, original compositions, and free improvisations.

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Head of the Department of Music at the University of Saskatchewan Canadian trumpeter/composer Dean McNeill is a graduate of the University of North Texas (M.Mus), McGill University (B.Mus), and Grant McEwan College (Dip.). Dean has composed and/or arranged music for professional ensembles including brass quintet, symphony orchestra, large and small brass ensembles, jazz combo, and large jazz ensemble. Dean’s arrangement of the jazz standard All of You won an award from Downbeat Magazine for University Student Arrangement of the Year.

In the jazz idiom Dean has performed with the Banff Centre Jazz Orchestra, Vancouver Jazz Orchestra, the Birth of the Cool Repertoire Project, the Art Blakey Tribute Project, and with the likes of Kenny Wheeler, Pat LaBarbera, P.J. Perry, Bobby Caldwell, Hugh Fraser, Campbell Ryga, and Tommy Banks. Dean currently directs the Metro Jazz Ensemble of Saskatoon and he has led many of his own small jazz groups as projects throughout Western Canada.

In the classical idiom Dean has been a member of the Saskatchewan Brass Quintet (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan), the Blue Bonnet Brass (Fort Worth, Texas), and the Red Deer (Alberta), Irving (Texas), and Saskatoon (Saskatchewan) Symphony Orchestras. He has performed in numerous classical chamber recitals throughout Western Canada, conducted the Saskatoon Symphony (pops concerts), and recently performed trumpet recitals at the University of Alberta (Edmonton, Alberta), Auburn University (Auburn, Alabama), Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, Oklahoma), University of Saskatchewan (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan), and the 2007 Western Canadian Music Awards (Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan).

Dean has adjudicated throughout Canada, has been the Musical Director of the Texas Lone Star Film Awards, the Edmonton Jazz Society’s Little Bird Big Band and Jazz Works music workshop. Dean has often adjudicated the Western Canadian Music Awards and the Canadian Juno Awards. At the U of S Dean has taught applied trumpet, trumpet ensemble, large jazz ensemble, jazz history, jazz materials (theory) and jazz pedagogy. Dean is a recipient of the U of S Dept of Music’s Dwaine Nelson Teaching Award.

In 2007, Dean released a CD of his compositions and arrangement for big band entitled Prairie Fire-Large Jazz Ensemble featuring many acclaimed Canadian jazz players/composers. Dean is a Yamaha artist.

deanmcneill.com

Manhattan-based, Saskatchewan-born jazz pianist Jon Ballantyne has released nine albums, won two Juno awards, most recently in 2007 for Avenue Standard, and received three Juno nominations as a leader. In 2007-2008, following recent tours of Europe, Israel, Canada, and the USA with his acclaimed quartet including Boris Kozlov, Jeff Hirshfield and Douglas Yates, Jon has embarked on a series of solo piano projects.

Jon’s early interest in studying and performing music ultimately led to his collaborations musically (onstage and/or recording) with musicians such as Joe Henderson, Paul Bley, Dewey Redman, Billy Hart, Roy Haynes, Drew Gress, Dave Liebman, and most recently as part of the Francois Houle Octet. In his formative years, Jon played alongside Pepper Adams, Woody Herman’s Thundering Herd, Ed Bickert, Terry Clarke, Neil Swainson and Jerry Fuller. Jon has studied with musical greats such as Cecil Taylor, Ed Blackwell, Kenny Wheeler, Don Thompson, Karl Berger, Elvin Jones, Richie Beirach, Barry Harris, Joanne Brackeen and Lee Konitz.

Born in Prince Albert Saskatchewan, Bonnie Nicholson is much in demand as a piano teacher, performer, and clinician. Her degrees include a Bachelor of Music (Performance) and a Master of Arts Degree from the U of S, as well as an A.R.C.T. in Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music Bonnie’s teachers and influences include Janet Wendland, mentor Robin Harrison, Claude Savard, and Mark Wescott.

Bonnie is a seasonal lecturer in the U of S Department of Music. In 1993, Bonnie received the Florence Bowes Piano Pedagogy Scholarship from the SRMTA, in 2000, the U of S Dwaine Nelson Teaching Award, and in 2004, the Sylvia Wallace Sessional Teaching Award, a university-wide award at the U of S. In their evaluations, students and colleagues have commented on Bonnie’s “innovative and insightful teaching methods”, and her “enthusiasm and encouragement”. Bonnie’s students consistently excel at competitions, festivals, and music exams. A recent student highlight came in February of 2006 when Bonnie’s former student, Dr. Thomas Yu, won the 17^th International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs in Paris, France.

Bonnie is an in-demand adjudicator in Saskatchewan and throughout Western Canada. She is an avid supporter of the Canadian Music Competitions, provincially and nationally. She has performed on CBC Radio, and on CDs with Bass-Baritone Henri Loiselle, the Saskatoon Children’s Choir, and the Saskatoon Fireside Singers.