UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA LAS VEGAS JAZZ ENSEMBLE 1

LET THE GOOD TIME ROLL

Vegas Records

You can’t miss with the blues, especially when it’s the Ray Charles Blues.  When you add a big band, that becomes another layer of wonderfulness.  This music celebrates the accomplishments of the UNLV students, faculty, and guest artists throughout the 2023 through 2024 school year.  On the title tune, the smooth vocals of Chris Holmes are featured. He’s one of several guest artists on this project.

Holmes and vocalist Naomi Mauro have performed at UNLV’s annual Joe Williams Scholarship Concerts. On this album, Mauro sings the lead on “Too Close for Comfort.”  Grammy Award winning producer and drummer, Gregg Field, assisted in the production of the title track and the “Too Close for Comfort” track.

On the familiar jazz standard, “Emily” they feature the very talented trombonist, Curt Miller.  The waves of harmony that flatter this arrangement are performed flawlessly by the University of Las Vegas Jazz Ensemble 1. They follow this with the tune, “Check Up” that features Adam Schroeder on baritone saxophone. Oscar Pettiford’s arrangement of “Bohemia After Dark” is joyful and exuberant, letting the horns shine and buoyed by the drums. They switch to Latin jazz during their presentation of “The Night Has a Thousand Eyes.”

With so many catastrophic budget cuts and the elimination of Government support for the arts and colleges around the country, this is an album that exemplifies the importance and creativity of higher education, music and art.  It also praises and promotes jazz, an indigenous American art form, and showcases the brilliance and innovation of university professors and their innovative student body. The UNLV J&CM celebrate a milestone achievement of garnering fifty (50) Downbeat Student Music Awards since 2010.

RHYTHM SECTION: Tristan Seizler & Micah Smith, piano; Jaren Glick & Kayne Johnson, guitar; Edoardo Lacala & Lukas Hutchinson, bass; Andrés Montero, Mateo Hurtado de Mendoza & Zach Guzman, drums; Amy Crosley, vibraphone. SAXOPHONES: Chris Ellis, Owen Chichester (Altos); Renzon Maballo, Joshua Alvarado (tenors); Cole Henriques (baritone). TRUMPETS: David Torres & Brandon O’Donahue, (lead); Aries Harper, Surafael Tamre & Kurt Tumbagahan. TROMBONES: Dylan Musso, Giovanni Lacala, Zach Guzman, Tristan Selzler, Rob Harrover, Kirby Galbraith (bass trombone); Casey Davis (French horn). SPECIAL GUESTS: Chris Holmes, Naomi Mauro, & Laura Taylor (vocals); Kenny Rampton & Surafael Tamre, trumpet; Curt Miller & Gio Lacala, trombone; Adam Schroeder, UNLV Faculty baritone saxophone; Dr. Isrea Butler, UNLV Faculty, trombone; Gregg Field, producer.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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