And itās also churning out some hits of its own.
Recently, the jazz faculty released a CD of original compositions. āBe(bop) Boulderā features each faculty member in his respective element, crooning in the traditional style and grooving on more contemporary piecesāand doing everything in between.
āThe mix is really eclectic. It reflects the range of styles and music that the faculty is interested in,ā says John Gunther, director of the Thompson Jazz Studies Program. āItās a really great representation of the collaborative spirit and mutual respect of the faculty.ā
A musical pun on the campusā āBe Boulderā campaign, the title of the CD evokes one of the more upbeat and influential genres of jazz. Itās also the title of the first track, written and performed by Gunther.
āWe wanted to piggyback on the āBe Boulderā brand and have a little fun with it,ā he says.
The ābee-tnickā bumblebees and the album artwork were designed by jazz studies alumna Annie Booth.
The recording features the stylings of the College of Musicās eight jazz masters: Paul Mckee, Jeff Jenkins, Art Lande, Brad Goode, Bijoux Barbosa, Dave Corbus, Paul Romaine and Josh Quinlan. Gunther says it was a challenge and an accomplishment to coordinate everyoneās busy schedules and book two days for recording at in Denver.
He says recording the CD couldnāt have happened without the support of the jazz studies programās namesakes, Jack and Jeannie Thompson.
āItās one of the great things we can do as a result of the endowment. The Thompsons provided us with amazing opportunities as a program, including being able to record a faculty CD.ā
Gunther says the CD has been getting a lot of play on local jazz stations, including in Denver. Combined with the jazz facultyās active gig schedule along the Front Range, itās been an important outreach and recruitment asset.
āAs a faculty, we feel strongly that we should all be playing together. It makes for a stronger department,ā he says. āWe think itās really good for our students to see their professors making music together, because thatās what weāre teaching them to do.
āItās also important for prospective students to hear our playing and get to know who we are.ā
The goal is to do more collaborations like these in the future, keeping the camaraderie of the jazz program strong.
Thereās also a Faculty Tuesday performance planned for September 20, featuring performances of the works on the CD.
Watch this video for a sneak peek: