IMSC Ep 9 - Song 1: "Heavy Load" by Roxi Copland

Roxi Copland currently lives in Milwaukee, but was living in Des Moines and part of the Des Moines music scene from 2005 to 2011, and came back to Iowa to make this album in 2014. In fact, the only non-Iowans on this album is her and her dad. So I suppose we can forgive her for that!

"Roxi Copland performs throughout the US, entertaining with an engaging combination of original songs and innovative arrangements of everything from Ella to the Offspring. Copland’s unique genre is best summed up in the words of one particularly eloquent reviewer as “a possibly schizophrenic but absolutely brilliant concoction of jazz, pop and soul.” Beautifully blurring the boundaries of blues, jazz, & pop, this talented singer/songwriter/pianist won’t disappoint."
- from her home page

Lineup:
Piano, synth, and vocals - Roxi Copland Drums- Sam Mogerman 

Bass - Ben Foote 

Guitar- James Biehn 

Alto Saxophone - Dave Bohl

Home page:
http://roxicopland.com/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/roxicoplandfanpage

IMSC Ep 9 - Song 2: "Alternate Title" by The University of Northern Iowa Jazz Band One (dir. Chris Merz)

"Chris Merz, Associate Professor of Music, has served as Director of Jazz Studies and Director of the award-winning UNI Jazz Band One at the University of Northern Iowa since 2002. Under his direction, the band has recorded eight CDs featuring many original compositions and arrangements by student and faculty writers.

"He has also taught at the University of Wyoming, the University of Massachusetts, and the University of Natal in Durban, South Africa. Chris has toured four continents with Dave Brubeck and other members of the Brubeck family and played lead alto saxophone with several East Coast groups, including the Cecil Bridgewater Big Band, the New England Jazz Ensemble, and the Jeff Holmes Big Band. His own projects include Equilateral and the X-tet, a 12-piece big band. "Chris has several compact disc recordings to his credit, including a collaboration with Bob Washut (Gemini), two discs with Equilateral (...And Another Thing and Also Not Pictured...) and one with the X-tet (Mystery is My Story). About that disc, Dave Brubeck wrote,

"I am very pleased with this wonderful band. Naturally, I would admire a group like yours that, to me, is a grand extension of what we were doing...when we were the "new thing"." He has received commissions from university and high school jazz ensembles throughout the country and has several compositions and arrangements published by Walrus Music Publishing (Pismo Beach, CA) and the UNC Jazz Press (Greeley,CO). He is a highly sought-after clinician and guest conductor."
- from Chris Merz's University of Northern Iowa page

Lineup:
Chris Merz - director
Cory Schmitt - trumpet, flugelhorn
Antonio Garza - trumpet, flugelhorn
Faith Hall - trumpet, flugelhorn
Toni Hoffman - trumpet, flugelhorn
Leah Schmidt - trumpet, flugelhorn
Gabe Scheid - saxophones, woodwinds
Marian Marturello - saxophones, woodwinds
Nolan Schroeder - saxophones, woodwinds
Nathan Temeyer - saxophones, woodwinds
Madeline Young - saxophones, woodwinds
Brian Crew - trombone
Jake Humburg - trombone
Brian Martin - trombone
Zach Gignac - bass trombone
Aaron Ottmar - vibraphone
Patrick Daugherty - guitar
Jon Snell - piano, electronic keyboard
Joel Conrad - acoustic, electric bass
Nic Addella - drums

Christopher Merz's Univeristy of Northern Iowa page:
http://www.uni.edu/music/christopher-merz

University of Northern Iowa Jazz Band One Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/UNIJBO

IMSC Ep 9 - Song 3: "Clarinet 2A"/"Clarinet 3" by Jeff Kane and Hannah Marks

Jeff Kane is the leader and founder of Des Moines's NOLA Jazz Band.

Lineup:
Clarinet - Jeff Kane
Bass - Hannah Marks



NOLA Jazz Band Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/NolaJazzBand

Ep 9 - Song 4: "Mrs B" by Bob Washut Trio

"Dr. Robert Washut is Professor of Music at the University of Northern Iowa, where he served as Director of Jazz Studies from 1980 - 2002. An accomplished jazz composer and arranger, Washut has received numerous commissions from collegiate jazz ensembles, professional jazz artists, and symphony orchestras. Many of his works are published by the UNC Jazz Press (Greeley, CO), Walrus Music Publishing (Pismo Beach, CA), C.L. Barnhouse (Oskaloosa, IA), and Heritage JazzWorks (Lorenz Corp - Dayton, OH).

"During his 22 years as director of the award-winning UNI Jazz Band One, Washut recorded 11 CDs (two of which earned 5-star ratings from DownBeat magazine), toured Europe three times, consistently received "Outstanding Band" recognition at collegiate jazz festivals throughout the Midwest, and was awarded three "Outstanding Performance" citations in DownBeat's Annual Student Music Awards.

"He is in demand as a clinician and adjudicator throughout the country and is an active jazz pianist, who founded the Latin jazz band, Orquesta Alto Maiz. He recorded and released a jazz trio CD entitled Songbook (Sea Breeze Jaz: SB-3036) in 1999. Washut was inducted into the Iowa IAJE Hall of Fame in 2003 and was selected as Outstanding Teacher at UNI in 1996."
- from The University of Northern Iowa page

Lineup:
Piano - Bob Washut
Bass - Mark Urness
Drums - Kevin Hart

University of Northern Iowa page: http://www.uni.edu/music/robert-washut

IMSC Ep 9 - Song 5: "Somewhere" by The Des Moines Big Band

"The Des Moines Big Band was founded in 1959 and has been going strong ever since. Well known for hundreds of miles around...

"Our mission is to present our community with a place to hear cutting edge jazz without leaving town to do it! We commission new compositions from nationally-recognized composers every year while still keeping the classics in the book...

"We play because we love jazz and feel a real sense of responsibility for keeping it alive and vibrant. Please join us in celebrating a truly original American art form!"

- from their home page (http://www.desmoinesbigband.com/)

Lineup:
Director - Jim Oates
Piano - Sid Bos
Alto Sax - Bob Long
Clarinet - Steve O'Brien
Trumpet - Dave Kobberdahl
Drums - Jim Eklof
Bass - Ross Cornelison

Home page:

http://www.desmoinesbigband.com/

Facebook:

https://facebook.com/DSMBB

IMSC Ep 9 - Song 6: "Left Behind" by Max Wellman

"This young showman from Des Moines doesn’t balk at you calling him an “old soul.” And, he didn’t become the polished performer he is overnight. In fact, it’s the Renaissance Man aspect of Wellman – elbow grease and a thirst for knowledge in spades – that makes him a sound and sight to behold. He’s a vocalist. An arranger. A writer. An entrepreneur. His musicianship is a vehicle for the entire package.

"Wellman certainly has bookmarked the traditional section of the American Songbook. There’s no question the golden voices of years past – accompanied by the tickling of piano keys and plucks of an upright bass – dance in his head as he performs. But when you’re an innovator who lives and breathes the accomplishments of past greats, you don’t need to be confined to their pages.

"No, artists such as Wellman are sure of themselves and confident in what they have to offer the world. They constantly move forward. He knew from the age of 16 that he needed to use his musical gifts to push the envelope. Wellman went on to use his studies of the history of voice and opera at Butler University to further permeate his forward march into his own art form."
- from his home page