Distinguished Alumni Series 2012–13 Season Thursday 31 January 2013 319th Concert Dalton Center Recital Hall 7:30 p.m.
GROOV’TET John Wojciechowski, Saxophone Xavier Davis, Piano Matt Hughes, Double Bass Keith Hall, Drums
Program to be selected from:
Xavier Davis Amy’s Presence
Xavier Davis Innocence of Youth
Xavier Davis One Way Up
Keith Hall Her Lullaby
Keith Hall Gotta Give It Up
Matt Hughes Wojohiphopski and the Groove Dogs
John Wojciechowski G.T.
John Wojciechowski Emergence
John Wojciechowski Moving Forward
John Wojciechowski Pinnacles of Achievement
John Wojciechowski Karen’s Waltz
If the fire alarm sounds, please exit the building im m ediately. A ll other em ergencies will be indicated by spoken announcem ent within the seating area. The tornado safe area in Dalton Center is along the lockers in the brick hallway to your left as you exit to the lobby behind you. In any emergency, walk—do not run—to the nearest exit. Please turn off all cell phones and other electronic devices during the performance. Because of legal issues, any video or audio recording of this performance is prohibited without prior consent from the School of Music. Thank you for your cooperation. GROOV’TET was formed 20 years ago when four motivated musicians were studying at WMU. They became a tight and cohesive group as they began to compose and arrange songs specifically for themselves. They began to perform in the region, gaining a following and honing their individual and group sound. Groov’tet won numerous DownBeat magazine awards as a group and individuals, as well as garnered praise from jazz mentors such as Jimmy Heath, Carl Allen, Billy Hart, Rufus Reid, Bunky Green, Jon Faddis, and Steve Wilson. While playing together at the International Association of Jazz Educators Convention in Boston, the group was discovered by Betty Carter, which resulted in Davis and Hughes joining her band and an opportunity for Hall to perform with her as well.
Since the release of their 1997 CD, The Groov’tet, these four individuals have gone their separate ways, only occasionally performing in part but not all together. This is the first time in well over a decade that the quartet has performed together. Thank you for celebrating this reunion with us!
Saxophonist John Wojciechowski, of whom the Chicago Tribune’s Howard Reich wrote: “…technically accomplished, musically profound and harmonically daring,” is originally from Detroit and has spent the last decade performing and teaching in Chicago. In addition to leading his own groups, some of the groups he has performed or recorded with include the Chicago Jazz Orchestra, Chicago Jazz Ensemble, The Woody Herman Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchesta, Milwaukee Symphony, Clark Terry, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Charlie Haden, and Kurt Elling. Wojciechowski was also a finalist in the 1996 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition. He is a member of the Chicago Jazz Orchestra, Dana Hall’s spring, the Jeff Campbell Trio, the Chicago Yestet, Ryan Cohan’s The River Sextet, and the Rob Parton Big Band. He also regularly performs with many of the top musicians in Chicago as well as abroad. He is currently on the music faculty at St. Charles North High School in St. Charles, Illinois where he teaches Jazz Bands and Music Theory.
Xavier Davis‘ professional career as a jazz pianist took off when legendary vocalist Betty Carter spotted his talent while he was performing with his college ensemble Groov’tet in 1994 and subsequently hired him as her pianist. From 1997–2005, he played with trumpeter Tom Harrell, co-producing his 2002 release Live at The Village Vanguard and arranging and producing tracks on his release, Wise Children. Most recently Davis has been working with Christian McBride, Regina Carter, Don Byron, Jeremy Pelt, Steve Turre, and Bobby Watson. He also worked with vibraphonist Stefon Harris regularly from 1999–2006. During their 1999–2000 season, Davis was the musical director for The Boy’s Choir of Harlem. In addition, he has performed and/or recorded with Abbey Lincoln, Freddie Hubbard, Jimmy Heath, Joe Lovano, John Faddis, Nat Adderley, Nicholas Payton, Vincent Herring, Vanessa Rubin, Al Foster, Russell Malone, New York Voices, and Billy Hart, among many others. He is currently in his fifth year of teaching at The Juilliard School of Music.
Originally from Kalamazoo, Matt Hughes studied and performed in numerous symphony orchestras and jazz ensembles in the Midwest. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and his master’s degree from Western Michigan University, he moved to New York City to tour and record with jazz great Betty Carter. Recently, Hughes has been performing with the Cab Calloway Orchestra and had the honor of recording “The Bass,” one of bassist Milt Hinton’s unrecorded features. Hughes was a featured performer at the International Society of Bassists convention and has recently premiered a new work for Soprano Saxophone and Double Bass, there is no quiet in Brooklyn, by Whitney Ashe at the Greenwich house in New York City and at Penn State University. As a classical performer, Hughes has performed with several Symphony Orchestras in the midwest and the Cincinnati Ballet, as well as in the Broadway musical SWING. Hughes has performed with ensembles such as the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, Nelson Riddle Orchestra, Duke Ellington Orchestra, Gene Krupa Orchestra, George Gee Orchestra, Grand Hotel Orchestra, Bill Warfield Big Band, Next Legacy Orchestra, The Mills Brothers, and has also performed with Jimmy Heath, Eric Alexander, Myron Waldon, Jon Hendricks, Donald Harrision, Jack Dejohnette, Billy Hart, Richard Stoltzman, Milt Hinton, John Boutte, Lea Deliara, Jim Rotundi and Anthony Wonsey Chip McNeill, Jim Pugh, Glenn Wilson, and Chip Stevens. Hughes is a member of the jazz faculty and is instructor of double bass at Western Illinois University.
Keith Hall is the adjunct jazz drum set instructor at Western Michigan University. He received his Bachelor of Music in jazz studies from WMU and a Master of Arts in jazz studies from Queens College in New York. Hall records and tours with singer Curtis Stigers, performing extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe. During his years in New York, Hall was a regular sub on Broadway’s Lion King, and has performed with the likes of Betty Carter, Wycliffe Gordon, Sir Roland Hanna, Wynton Marsalis, Michael Phillip Mossman, Steve Wilson, Joe Wilder, Claudio Roditi, Luciana Souza, and Terrell Stafford. Hall is the author of Jazz Drums Now! 1 & 2 and is the radio host for Jazz Currents on WMUK in Kalamazoo. He is the director of the Keith Hall Summer Drum Intensive and Drum Choir Xperience. His critically-acclaimed group TRI-FI has released four CDs and his recordings, books, and articles have appeared in major jazz and educational publications. Hall continues to present jazz programs in schools, conducts master classes around the world and inspires businesses and students to use elements of jazz music to impact daily life. He is a proud endorser of Remo drumheads, Regal Tip drumsticks, Taye drums and Istanbul Agop cymbals. For more information visit www.keithhallmusic.com.