Down Beat Magazine has released its June issue honoring great students and jazz programs around the country, and the University of Colorado at Boulder jazz studies department is front and center.
CU-Boulder student musicians won prestigious national recognition in three categories of Down Beat's annual competition: outstanding group performance in the instrumental jazz category, outstanding individual performance by a jazz instrumentalist and outstanding individual performance of an original composition.
Assistant Professor Chip Stephens' jazz combo, "Chip's Buffaloes," took home the group performance award. "We have so many young and talented jazz musicians in our program, and it's nice to see them get recognized for their abilities and talents," Stephens said.
Peter Sommer and Andy Nevala, graduate students and members of Stephens' winning band, each received individual awards, as well. Sommer won for his tenor saxophone solo on the Pat Martino standard "Three Bass Hit," and pianist Nevala won for his own composition, "Nocturne."
"It's a great honor to be recognized by Down Beat, both as a member of the combo and as a soloist," said Sommer, a master's candidate. "I think these awards reflect not only on the hard work of the students, but also on the level of education being provided by the jazz faculty here at the university."
Down Beat's recognition was a welcome surprise to Nevala, who is pursuing a doctorate in jazz piano performance. "Winning three Down Beat awards in one year says a lot about the direction of the CU jazz studies program," he said. "It's a great time to be a musician at CU.Ìý The school has a great faculty - not only are they great teachers, but great people as well."
Nevala's winning song is available for download at .Ìý
"I tried to write something that didn't sound like just a bunch of notes," he said. "To me, music communicates through a person's heart and emotions, and I feebly attempt to channel that energy in composing and performing."
His debut CD, "Waiting in the Alley," can be heard on Denver's 89.3 FM KUVO, and can be purchased at mp3.com or at several Colorado music shops.
In addition to his studies with Stephens and Professor Robert Spillman at CU-Boulder, Nevala is busy performing around the Denver metro area with a number of groups. The Andy Nevala Quartet will perform at the Boulder Theater on May 18 and play a series of dates at the Sambuca Jazz Café in Denver on May 9, May 23 and June 13. Nevala also is the pianist for the renowned Denver-based salsa band Conjunto Colores, and he makes frequent appearances with the Descarga group at Boulder's Trilogy Lounge.
Stephens and Sommer perform every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night at Denver's historic El Chapultepec jazz club.
The award-winning CU-Boulder jazz studies program, led by director John Davis, features top-notch instructors including Stephens, bassist Paul Erhard, saxophonist Tom Myer, pianist and arranger Michael Pagan, trumpeter Terry Sawchuk and drummer-vibraphonist Douglas Walter. For more information about the CU-Boulder Jazz Studies department, go to the Web site at .Ìý
Down Beat magazine has chronicled the history of jazz and blues music since 1934. Each year it accepts taped submissions from scholastic and collegiate musicians for consideration in the student awards competition. The awards are widely considered to be the most prestigious national recognition for jazz students, and a number of winners have gone on to become stars of the international jazz community. For more information on Down Beat Magazine, visit .