Jazzin'

By Tim Roberts

Hi, I'm Tim Roberts. And remember, I'm not only your Jazzin' columnist and President of the Hair-Coloring Club for Men, but (as you can see by my new picture) I'm also a client.

This month we turn our collective attention to two academic jazz programs in the city. First, Mike Tracy of the University of Louisville reports that the jazz program there is now officially called the Jamey Aebersold Jazz Studies Program. It was done, he said, for recruitment and promotion of the program. The university soundly rejected the intended name, The Pamela Anderson Lee Jazz Studies Program, but the new name has already produced some results. According to Mike, students from other parts of the country have already called to ask about the program. Others who didn't know that the name had changed have called to ask if there will be a sequel to Barb Wire.

This piece of news was announced during the school's Jazz Week '99, the last week of February. "It was highly successfully, musically," Mike reported. "The focus this year was on self-contained ensembles instead of individual performers. It showed people how a working group functions, instead of a single performer." This year's guests included the Ray Brown Trio, the Tana/Ried Quintet, and the New York Voices. That change of focus was a risk, but it succeeded better than what was expected.

Mike is also preparing for the release of his first CD. The work contains a combination of jazz and classical pieces written by composers with ties to Kentucky. . Look for it to hit the racks in mid-May or the early June.

And speaking of the U of L program's namesake, the next Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshop, which always brings a supertankerload of jazz performers to town, will take place July 4 through July 9. Call Aebersold Jazz at 945-3142 for more information.

Jeff Sherman reports that the 1999 Bellarmine Jazz Guitar Clinic will be June 7 and 8 on the Bellarmine College campus. This year's guest instructors will be Cal Collins, who returns to the clinic after a year's absence, Howard Alden, and Randy Johnston. The clinic is two days' of intense performance workshops with a clinic faculty show and jam on the first night. To find out more, call Jeff at 452-8182.

Splatch will perform at Mason's on May 14 and 15. They travel down to The Office in Evansville on May 21.

Some hot-off-the-burner jazz CDs have been sent my way. Check out what I have to say about them in "Recording Reviews."

If you want to give me the heads-up on a jazz item in the city, my email is tim@troberts.win.net. Or you can send it in care of the fine monthly periodical now in your hands.