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In Sea
Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra | Henry Wolking conductor
Its evident from hearing the jazz big band works of composer, arranger, conductor and trombonist Henry Wolking’s debut album on Big Round Records, IN SEA, that he effectively mixes complexity with simplicity in his jazz harmonies and colorful orchestrations that make for an exciting and memorable listening experience. The inspired solo work of band members and guest artists add to the sincere and fresh cosmopolitan character of the recording.
Performed by the Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra (SLCJO) and conducted by Wolking, the works on this album represent Wolking’s clear direction of fusing together a number of different styles, from classical and rock to Latin and swing. Pieces such as the title track In Sea, and Sumo Mix, honor and pay tribute to iconic jazz composers and musicians of the past, including Bob Brookmeyer and Thad Jones, influential to Wolking’s compositional style. Claude Debussy’s impressionistic approach becomes a foundational element in some of these works, which Wolking interprets deftly with jazz harmonies and syncopated rhythms in pieces such as Jimbo’s Lullaby, A Piece of Cake, and Claire De Lune.
Along with his original compositions, Wolking includes arrangements of works by David Halliday, Lew Pollack, and others, illustrating how he orchestrates with the ensemble in mind, using the textures and variety of voices of the big band to create engaging grooves and captivating sections of improvisation. Many of these works go beyond the straight-ahead jazz form, incorporating shifts in mood and tempo, and introducing new ideas and conversations among the instruments seamlessly.
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Track Listing & Credits
| # | Title | Composer | Performer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | In Sea | Henry Wolking | Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra | Kris Johnson, trumpet; Greg Floor, alto sax; Jay Lawrence, drums | 5:55 |
| 02 | Children's Corner: II. Jimbo's Lullaby (arr. H. Wolking for trombone and jazz orchestra) | Claude Debussy, arr. Henry Wolking | Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra | Kevin Stout, trombone | 4:33 |
| 03 | A Piece of Cake | Henry Wolking | Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra | Greg Floor, soprano sax; Kris Johnson, trumpet | 5:36 |
| 04 | Cantaloupes, Aisle 1 | Henry Wolking | Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra | Brian Keegan, trombone; Brian Booth, tenor sax | 5:48 |
| 05 | Sumo Mix | Henry Wolking | Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra | David Halliday, tenor sax; Greg Floor, soprano sax; Jay Lawrence, drums | 8:00 |
| 06 | Suite bergamasque: III. Claire de lune (arr. H. Wolking for clarinet and jazz orchestra) | Claude Debussy, arr. Henry Wolking | Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra | Jerry Floor, clarinet | 5:09 |
| 07 | Home (arr. H. Wolking for jazz orchestra) | David Halliday, arr. Henry Wolking | Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra | David Halliday, tenor sax; Kurt Reeder, piano | 10:53 |
| 08 | That's a Plenty | Lew Pollack, arr. Henry Wolking | Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra | Kris Johnson, trumpet; Brian Booth, tenor sax | 5:41 |
| 09 | God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen | Anonymous, arr. Henry Wolking | Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra | Kevin Stout, trombone | 4:35 |
| 10 | High Society | Porter Steele, arr. Henry Wolking | Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra | Brian Booth, tenor sax; Reed LeCheminant, trumpet | 4:35 |
| 11 | Reverie (arr. H. Wolking for jazz orchestra) | Claude Debussy, arr. Henry Wolking | Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra | Jerry Floor, clarinet; Keven Johansen, guitar | 5:43 |
| 12 | Rush Hour Shuffle | Henry Wolking | Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra | Brian Booth, tenor sax; Reed LeCheminant, trumpet; Kevin Stout, trombone; Keven Johansen, guitar; Kurt Reeder, organ; Jay Lawrence, vibes | 7:07 |
All tracks performed by the Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra and arranged by Henry Wolking
All works published by Ejazzlines www.ejazzlines.com
All tracks recorded August 21 – 22, 2015, at Metcom Studios in Salt Lake City UT www.metcomstudios.com
Recording engineer Michael Greene
Session Producer Andy Happel
Additional Engineering on In Sea, A Piece Of Cake, & Sumo Mix Steve Drown
All works available from ejazzlines.com
Cover art by Sam Paolini
SALT LAKE CITY JAZZ ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL
Jerry Floor, leader
SAXOPHONES
Jerry Floor alto & soprano saxes, clarinet
David Hall alto sax
Brian Booth tenor sax, flute
Scott Harris tenor sax
Keith Parietti baritone sax
TRUMPETS/FLUGELHORNS
Reed LeCheminant lead
Keith Davis
Evan Bateman
Scott Acton
Steve Mansfield
TROMBONES
Bill Tole lead
Brian Keegan
Neil Hendriksen
Donn Schaefer bass trombone
RHYTHM SECTION
Keven Johansen guitar
Kurt Reeder piano, keyboards
Denson Angulo electric and acoustic bass
Jay Lawrence drums, vibraphone
GUESTS SOLOISTS
Kris Johnson trumpet
Greg Floor soprano sax
Kevin Stout trombone
David Halliday tenor sax
Executive Producer Bob Lord
Audio Director Jeff LeRoy
Production Engineer Nate Hunter
Art & Production Director Brett Picknell
Graphic Designer Ryan Harrison
A&R Chris Robinson
Marketing Specialist Morgan MacLeod
Artist Information
Henry Wolking
A trombonist and prolific, highly diverse composer who recently retired from The University of Utah's School of Music after nearly 40 years as Director Of Jazz Studies, Henry Wolking has found creative inspiration in writing for almost every imaginable type of large and small ensemble in classical and jazz music. His prodigious orchestral output includes symphonies, fantasies, and an overture as well as eight concertos featuring various soloists such as jazz quartet, trombone, flute, heckelphone, bassoon, contrabassoon, two pianos and horn.
Salt Lake City Jazz Orchesta (SLCJO)
The Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra was founded in 1973 by saxophonist/clarinetist Jerry Floor and trumpeter Bill Crismon. Then known as the Floor/Crismon Big Band, the ensemble performed for conventions, parties and backed performers that came through Salt Lake City. Henry Wolking was a charter member of the band, playing lead and jazz trombone. The Floor/Crismon big band would later become known as The JAM Band and, in 2004, as an important component of the Salt Lake City International Jazz Festival, Mayor Rocky Anderson and TV host, Larry King, renamed the band, The Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra. (SLCJO)
Greg Floor
Greg is a 3rd generation musician from Salt Lake City, UT. He is a graduate of the University of Utah where he earned his BA in Music in 1996 during Henry Wolking’s tenure as Director of the Jazz Department. Since then, Greg has been a featured soloist with the Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra, recorded two solo CD’s as leader and many others as a sideman, taught jazz theory and improvisation at the University of Utah, Snow College, and Westminster College, backed countless artists, soloed with the Utah Symphony, and received his Master in Music from the New England Conservatory of Music. Greg and his family currently reside in Boston, MA where he performs regularly with the Boston Pops, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the Boston Saxophone Quartet and works full-time as the Director of Admissions at Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology from which he graduated with his Master of Divinity in 2005.
David Halliday
California native David Halliday studied with Grammy-winning jazz sax legend, Joe Henderson as a teen. His musical travels include 46 states, 8 European countries, Puerto Rico and Cuba. He has appeared on BET, the WB show Everwood, KBYUTV, Josh Groban’s Awake Live DVD, and numerous Utah television shows, and his saxophone playing has aired on Touched By An Angel (ABC), ABC’s NBA theme, CBS, ESPN, HBO, Showtime, NFL Network, Speed TV, and many more. Halliday’s original compositions have aired on television in twenty countries worldwide. He attended Loyola in New Orleans, where he played in the legendary funk band, Galactic. His live performance credits include Josh Groban, Ben Folds, Maxwell, The Temptations, the Four Tops, Dizzy Gillespie, the Utah Symphony, and many more. Halliday serves as Associate Adjunct Professor of Saxophone at the University of Utah, and private saxophone instructor, Survey of Jazz professor, and director of the Jazz Ensemble at Westminster College. He holds a BM in Saxophone Performance with an Emphasis in Jazz Studies from BYU and an MM in Jazz Performance and Composition from the University of Utah.
Kris Johnson
Kris Johnson is an award-winning jazz trumpeter, composer, and educator. He has appeared on an impressive list of albums including two Grammy-nominated releases: Tony Bennett’s “A Swingin’ Christmas” and Karen Clark Sheard’s “All In One”. Kris is a trumpeter and arranger with the Count Basie Orchestra. In 2013 he was featured in the standup-comedy film “Make Me Wanna Holla” starring Sinbad. Currently, Kris is the Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Utah. He received his master’s (2007) and bachelor’s (2005) degrees in Jazz Studies from Michigan State University. In 2012, Kris received an ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers award and was selected as one of 25 Detroit performing and literary artists to receive a Kresge Artist Fellowship. Mr. Johnson is aslo the former director of Detroit Symphony’s Civic Jazz Orchestra.
Kevin Stout
Multi-instrumentalist Kevin Stout born in Salt Lake City, Utah,is the youngest of six siblings. He began playing and singing at an early age, and by the time he was 8, he was studying the accordion. By age 14, he was already playing multiple instruments as well as composing and arranging. At 16, he was leading his own band and arranging all of the music, studying trombone with Carson Sharp, and working as a studio bassist.
Notes
Many thanks to the Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra (SLCJO) and Jerry Floor for making this recording possible. For my guest artists, words simply can’t express my deep appreciation for your involvement and sharing of your prodigiuos musical talents. During my 39 years as Director Of Jazz Studies at the University of Utah, I made many wonderful recordings of my and my students’ music. Throughout the years I’ve also had various jazz and classical works recorded by college and professional jazz ensembles and orchestras, but this is the first professional recording of an album exclusively featuring my big band compositions and arrangements. It is sort of ironic that in the four decades of teaching jazz studies, the majority of my recorded works have been for orchestra and chamber music ensembles in the classical and classical/jazz domains. Now in retirement from university teaching, I have had the time and energy to devote to making this album a reality. This is truly the album I’ve waited 40 years to record.
Most of the works were written quite recently (in the last couple years). But some, such as Rush Hour Shuffle, which was originally commissioned by the Cal State Northridge jazz band, were written as far back as 1982. I included this work because many of the performers in SLCJO are former students and they requested this particular chart. All the soloists on this tune, Kevin Stout, Brian Booth and Reed LeCheminant are former students who, like many others, became and remain close friends and colleagues. That is another reason this recording is dear to my heart. Almost everyone in the band is a former student or University colleague. I’m also very proud to have Kris Johnson, , the new University of Utah Director of Jazz Studies playing on 3 tracks. Finally I could not have done this album without the love and support of my wife, thanks Lois!
– Henry Wolking
Scores
Videos
“In Sea” Henry Wolking, Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra
“Reverie” Henry Wolking, Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra