Festive!

Neighborhood Music School

Premier Jazz Ensemble

Available from Quadrangle Music (QDR 125)

Who are they? They are jazz musicians of all ages, some with professional experience, others with only a little. They are a mix of high school students, working people, college professors, and one podiatrist! Chosen by audition, they have rehearsed weekly and have been given the responsibility of representing the Neighborhood Music School at community performances, concerts and events throughout the year. They are a potent reminder of how musical talent can be cultivated when given support by the arts community.

Who am I?... I am the musician and educator lucky enough to be provided with the opportunity to both guide these performers in their journey to a deeper understanding of jazz music and to have my arrangements and compositions interpreted by them. For this opportunity I am grateful to NMS staff, Jesse Hameen II (Chair of Jazz Studies), Grace Feldman (Ensembles Coordinator), and Larry Zukof (Executive Director). Without their continuous support the Premier Jazz Ensemble would not have blossomed to this point.

And not the least, I applaud the support of the parents of our school-age musicians: Laurel Shader and Jon Zonderman, Deborah Flomenhaft and Tod Papageorge, Karen and Brian Clark, and Donna and Joe Pecoraro. It was they, after all, who drove their young musicians to rehearsals, after school and through rain and snow. Further heartfelt thanks go to Laurel Shader for the photos on this CD, our recording engineer and fellow faculty member, Istvan B'Racz, and to our mixing and mastering engineer, Norman Johnson, a source of much wisdom and patience in the studio.

Emily Pecoraro - alto sax
Becky Abbott - tenor sax
Theo Papageorge - trumpet
Jim Berger - trombone, baritone horn
Gary Grippo - guitar
Martin Carter - piano
Adam Clark - bass
Jake Zonderman - drums
Jeff Fuller - arranger, conductor

Festive!

1.	Festive Minor (Gerry Mulligan)
2.	Giant Steps (John Coltrane)
3.	Hail, Bop! (Jeff Fuller)
4.	Batida Diferente (Mauricio Einhorn)
5.	Mr. Syms (John Coltrane)
6.	Daahoud (Clifford Brown)
7.	Theme from "Frasier" (Bruce Miller)
8.	Come Dance With Me (Dick Griffin)
9.	Nocturne (Frederic Chopin)
10.	The Flintstones (Hoyt Curtin)

Recorded by Istvan B'racz, May 2008, at the Neighborhood Music School

Mixed and mastered by Norman Johnson, Manor Recording, Middletown, CT

Photos by Laurel Shader. Cover design by Rebecca Abbott.