Dreamlike, a 2023 Vegas Records CD release, documents significant recordings of our 2022-2023 UNLV School of Music, Division of Jazz and Commercial Music student ensembles and combos, and celebrates the 50th anniversary of the UNLV Jazz Ensemble program.

Jazz Ensemble I, co-winner of a coveted 2023 DownBeat Magazine Student Music Award (SMA) for Graduate College Large Ensemble and directed by professors Dave Loeb and Nathan Tanouye, opens disc one with Ricardo Arana’s fast-paced title track, Dreamlike, with energized solos by saxophonist Eddy Sarabia, and Kurt Tumbagahan, on trumpet. UNLV Jazz Ensemble I won a rigorous international competition to perform at the prestigious Jazz Education Network Annual Conference in New Orleans this coming January, among top jazz ensembles from renowned university music programs worldwide.

Alumni Dennis MacKrel, a world class drummer, arranger, composer and former director of the Count Basie Jazz Orchestra, performed with the UNLV 50th Anniversary Alumni Jazz Ensemble in the spring along with many notable alumni including Curt Miller, trombonist, arranger and director of the alumni jazz ensemble concert. Dennis offers his stunning arrangement of Jerome Kern’s Yesterdays, featuring fine improvisations from trombonist Kirby Galbraith and drummer and graduate assistant, Andres Montero. Kenny Rampton, an acclaimed alumni and artistic director of the Essentially Ellington Festival at UNLV, brilliant jazz trumpet artist with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and founder of the Jazz Outreach Initiative in Las Vegas, also performed in the jazz alumni concert and plays a fantastic trumpet solo on Arana’s magnificent composition, On To The Next.

Just For A Thrill, a time-honored jazz ballad by Lil Armstrong and Don Raye, arranged intuitively by former UNLV jazz faculty member and respected jazz guitar artist, Joe Lano, follows with a beautiful vocal performance by a treasured UNLV Jazz supporter, Laura Taylor and a heartfelt flugelhorn solo by Rampton. UNLV alumni and faculty member, Nathan Tanouye, provides his spirited arrangement of Russ Freeman’s, Band Aid, that includes exciting solos from Chris Ellis, on alto sax, and graduate assistants Cameron Jones, on piano, and Montero, on drums. Thad Jones’s classic,

Three and One, with clever improvisations from Cole Henriques, on bari sax, trumpet Harrison Collard and bassist Keegan Carter, Arana’s refreshing original, Sepulveda Boulevard, including delightful solos from Arana, on trumpet, guitarist Jaren Glick, pianist Jones and Sarabia, on flute, with powerful solos from the entire trombone section, sparkle and bring stylistic variety.

Ellis’s enchanting composition, Introspection, with sensitive solos from pianist Jones and Tumbagahan, on trumpet, and Joe Henderson’s rousing Shade of Jade, arranged by Alan Bayock, director of University of North Texas famed One O’Clock Lab Band, with ebullient improvisations from tenor saxophonist Cason Allen, drummer Zach Mejia and bassist Carter, conclude Jazz Ensemble I’s set. Disc One finishes with an unforgettable performance of Duke Ellington’s masterpiece, Sophisticated Lady, by legendary jazz vocalist Don Cunningham, former singer with Count Basie’s big band and the sensational duo, The Cunnighams, and Rampton joins with a wonderful trumpet solo.

Disc two begins with our UNLV Latin Jazz Ensemble, winner of a 2023 DownBeat Magazine SMA for Outstanding Performance in the Graduate College Latin Group category, that is skillfully directed by part time faculty member, Pepe Jimenez. The group performs three contrasting selections beginning with Jorge Laboy’s Barranquitas, arranged ingeniously by Jimenez, with exuberant solos by guitarist Glick, Micah Smith, on piano, Mejia, on cajon, Montero, on drums, Aries Harper, on trumpet, trombonist Galbraith and Sarabia, on tenor sax. Jimenez’s imaginative composition, Cocho’s Mambo, with authentic improvisations from Smith, on piano, David Martinez, on congas, and drummer Montero, and Galbraith’s impressive arrangement of Claudio Roditi’s The Monster and The Flower, with exceptional solos from Galbraith, on trombone, trumpeter Harper, and Smith, on piano. The UNLV Joe Williams Every Day Foundation Scholarship Trio, that gave command performances in a UNLV College of Fine Arts Italy Tour this spring along with jazz faculty members Adam Schroeder, Grammy award-winning baritone saxophonist, and director Dave Loeb, on piano, performs Bill Lee’s ballad, Be One, with UNLV masters student vocalist Toscha Comeaux, Chorinio, a frenetic samba by Lyle Mays, and Montero’s lovely composition, Ten. The Contemporary Jazz Ensemble, expertly directed by faculty member Julian Tanaka, performs Submarine, by Hoody, deftly arranged by student Rachel Gamberg who also sang on this track, with dynamic solos from bassist Sam Knapp, tenor saxophonist, Cason Allen and pianist Sergio Gamboa, and Roy Hargrove’s The Stroke, proficiently arranged by Galbriath, with superb improvisations from Surafael Tamre, on trumpet, Knapp, on bass and Henriques, on baritone saxophone. The Joe Williams Scholarship Quartet, that gave a superlative invited performance at the 2023 Jazz Education Network Conference in Orlando, FL this past January, performs trumpeter Harrison Collard’s captivating composition, Jorale, and the Joe Williams Tough Tenors combo closes this project with Jones’s interesting composition, Formidable, including fascinating solos from Jones, on piano, Sarabia, on tenor sax and bassist Carter.

UNLV Division of Jazz and Commercial students garnered five 2023 DownBeat Student Music Awards, considered among the highest recognitions in jazz education, with a total of 44 since 2010! Almost There, our 2022 CD release, received another outstanding review from JazzTimes magazine and UNLV Jazz Ensemble I has been included in the annual Education Guide from this premier jazz publication for 15 consecutive years. We dedicate this project to eminent JazzTimes journalist, Ken Kranckling, who reviewed our CD releases since 2010 and recently passed away, and Carl Saunders, the lauded jazz trumpet artist with an exhaustive list of credits including performing with the Stan Kenton Orchestra, who previously recorded with Jazz Ensemble I, mentored our students and who also died this year. We wish to extend our sincere gratitude to College of Fine Arts Dean, Nancy Uscher, our generous donors including Randy Garcia and The Investment Counsel Company, The Friends of UNLV Jazz, with founders Robert and Shirley Kramer, Doug and Lynn Small and other indispensable benefactors who have provided essential funding to create vital educational opportunities for our talented students. Our alumni teach at distinguished universities worldwide, perform in prominent Las Vegas showrooms and substantially contribute to the contemporary music industry. Our students honor us with their unwavering pursuit to achieve musical excellence! We are very proud of their remarkable accomplishments!