The support of one local arts organization means three Thompson Jazz Studies students will soon be heading to the recording studio.
Since 2014,听听has awarded grants to area jazz musicians to record CDs. This year, College of Music students Anisha Rush, Josh Reed and Heath Walton were among the artists chosen to receive grants.
Sponsored by the听, Pathways to Jazz supports local jazz musicians and provides exposure to the jazz scene in Boulder and Denver. Last year, Music Buffs Annie Booth and Paul Shinn received grants.
Anisha Rush
For Rush, who will be recording her first album, it鈥檚 rare and exciting to have the opportunity, as an undergrad, to take this step. 鈥淗ow many grants are there for a jazz musician to make an album? I鈥檓 honored to have the chance.鈥�
Originally from Colorado Springs, Rush says she鈥檚 putting together a quartet, and plans to record at the beginning of 2016. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited to hear a recorded product,鈥� she explains. 鈥淵ou can write as much music as you want, but when you finally hear it become a reality, you feel like you can actually take ownership of it.鈥�
The saxophone jazz studies major is double majoring in psychology, which will come into play as she puts her grant to use. 鈥淧art of my proposal was to build awareness about stigmas against mental illness,鈥� says Rush. 鈥淪o I鈥檓 organizing a benefit concert for a group called the National Alliance for Mental Illness. The goal is to raise money and educate the community about how they can help those with mental illness.鈥�
For jazz sax DMA student Heath Walton, the grant is helping feed a childhood passion. 鈥淢y dad was a big jazz fan and he played when I was a kid. It was always on in the house, and my brothers are also big music fans.鈥�
The Davis, California, native says he heard about the grant from Booth and Shinn and couldn鈥檛 pass up the unique opportunity. 鈥淭o have people who are out there supporting the jazz industry, trying to push the art and the music along, is great," Walton says. "Especially when it鈥檚 focused on local musicians.鈥�
Walton is no stranger to the life of a professional musician: he lived and breathed the New York jazz scene for eight years, and did his first recording in 2006. This time, he鈥檒l lead the band. 鈥淭he grant might make it possible for me to fly out a couple of the people I played with in New York to be on the recording,鈥� he says.
Josh Reed
And that extra help makes all the difference in the world to musicians when they鈥檙e just starting off, says Reed. He鈥檒l be leading the band on his recording, as well鈥攕omething he鈥檚 never felt comfortable doing before. 鈥淩ecording an album is expensive just to pay for studio time and hiring the right musicians, and that鈥檚 not something we can always do. You don鈥檛 want to put out a product that isn鈥檛 high value,鈥� Reed explains. 鈥淭his affords us the chance to do a project the right way, rather than cut corners.鈥�
Reed, who has a Denver studio booked for January, will enlist the talent of legendary Boulder pianist听听and College of Music alumni Dru Heller and Tim Wendell. They鈥檒l be recording some of Reed鈥檚 original compositions, while paying tribute to the greats including his favorite trumpeter, Kenny Dorham.
Reed teaches jazz at Metro State University in Denver, and says the help Pathways to Jazz provides to jazz hopefuls in the region is invaluable. 鈥淲ith the growing scene out here right now鈥攏ew jazz clubs, more people moving here鈥攊t鈥檚 great that they鈥檙e giving musicians a chance to put out a quality product as we gain exposure as a region.鈥�
