The Gustavus Jazz Lab Band and the Adolphus Jazz Ensemble will present their spring concert in Jussi Björling Recital Hall on Friday, May 6 at 7:30 p.m. to open the Gustavus Honors Weekend events. The bands will welcome guest artist and jazz pianist Masoyoshi Ishikawa to the Björling stage for this concert. Led by directors Dave Stamps and John Engebretson ’91, the bands’ concert will be presented with no admission charged. The concert is open to the public.
Originally from Fukushima Japan, Masayoshi Ishikawa came to the United States in 2003 to begin his formal musical training in Seattle Washington. As a pianist, he has performed at many jazz festivals/concerts including Italy, China and the United States as well as engaged in multiple professional recording sessions. As equal to his dedication to jazz performance, Ishikawa also enjoys crafting music with various instrumentations. His composition, Hotaru (firefly), was selected as the winner of 2014 Downbeat Student Music Awards in Graduate Original Composition for Small Ensemble. Ishikawa wrote and premiered a multi-movement work titled Suite for the Forgotten in 2015. The suite is dedicated to people who are currently living in Fukushima under the risk of exposure to radiation. In this composition, Ishikawa employed a string quartet as well as French horn into the traditional jazz big band instrumentation. Ishikawa is an alumnus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (DMA), University of South Florida (M.M), University of Northern Colorado (M.M), Shoreline Community College (A.A) and Kokugakuin College (B.A in Economics).
The Adolphus Jazz Ensemble with director John Engebretson will open Friday’s concert with works by Gordon Goodwin (Count Bubba), Harold Arlen (It’s Only a Paper Moon), Thad Jones (Big Dipper), Jerome Kern and music by Radiohead. The program includes the Mike Tomaro arrangement of Fred Rogers’ Won’t You Be My Neighbor.
The Gustavus Jazz Lab Band and director Dave Stamps will present the second half of Friday’s concert. Their program includes Scam & Eggs by Frank Mantooth, Well You Needn’t by Thelonious Monk, and Wolfdenfunk by Eric Richards. They will also perform Days of Joy and Laughter, by guest artist Masoyoshi Ishikawa, Glib and A Ridge Away, by recent guest lecturer Chuck Owen and Pollywog by Dave Stamps.
Friday’s spring concert by the Gustavus Jazz Lab Band and the Adolphus Jazz Ensemble will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Jussi Björling Recital Hall. Admission is free and open to the public.
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