Hour of the Pearl Album

2005

Tracks:

1. Title in Parenthese - Brent Beacon*
2. HerAllure - Scott Wendholt, arr. Arthur White
3. Old Souls - Matt Bundy *, arr. Arthur White
4. You Can't Get There From Here - Bradley Spears*
5. Cash and Prizes - Bradley Spears*
6. Unsaid - Arthur White
7. Hour of the Pearl - Scott Wendholt, arr. Arthur White
8. Got It in the Bag - Mike Schmidt*
9. Nanga Def? - Paul Scea

*indicates students from NSU Jazz Studies Program

• Arthur White, director (saxophone solo on track 7)
• Scott Wendholt, trumpet (1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)

Saxophones:

• Alto 1: Tracy Patterson, Tonkawa, OK (solos on track 4, 5, 6)
• Alto 2: Jared Rountree, Tahlequah, OK
• Tenor 1: Cory Martin, Coweta, OK (solos on tracks 2, 8)
• Tenor 2: Michelle Duke, Checotah, OK
• Baritone: Stephanie Verbos, Berryhill, OK

Trumpets:

• Even Mikish, Berryhill, OK (lead on tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 8)
• Brandon Gilbert, Tulsa, OK (lead on tracks 4, 6, 7)
• Bobby Asher, Berryhill, OK (solo on track 4)
• Jacob Meryhew, Tulsa, OK

Trombones:

• Aaron Hollon (lead), Verdigris, OK (solo on tracks 1, 8, 9)
• Bradley Spears, Coweta, OK
• Matthew Booth, Coweta, OK
• Danny Cole (bass), Tulsa, OK

Rhythm:

• Brent Deacon, guitar, Broken Arrow, OK (rhythm on all tracks, solos on tracks 1, 4, 6, 9)
• Bradley Spears, guitar, Coweta, OK (solo on tracks 3, 5, 9)
• Matt Bundy, piano, Locust Grove, OK (solos on tracks 3, 8)
• Mike Schmidt, bass, Tulsa, OK (3, 4, 5, 7, 8)
• Justin Fulfer, bass, Broken Arrow, OK (1, 2, 6, 9)
• Dixie Weathers, drums, Checotah, OK (1, 2, 3, 6, 7)
• Nic Johnson, drums, Cleveland, OK (4, 5, 8, 9)

Five of the compositions for this recording were written by students in the NSU Jazz Studies Program.

About the Artists

Scott Wendholt, is recognized internationally as an articulate, passionate, and lyrical trumpeter who communicates musically with a simultaneous youthful joie de vivre and life experience. Born in the mid sixties, Scott graduated from Indiana University, and spent time in Cincinnati before making New York City his permanent residence. Scott is among the most requested trumpeters in New York. His list of recording and performance credits reads like a Who's Who list of jazz greats; he has recorded and worked with artists including Kenny Garrett, Cyrus Chestnet, Christian McBride, Don Braden, and Bruce Barth, and in the groups of Vincent Herring. Scott is recognized as a leader; he has released five critically acclaimed albums for the Doubletime and Criss Cross labels. Wendholt is also a featured soloist with many great big bands, including the Carnegie Hall Big Band, Maria Schneider Big Band, Bob Mintzer Big Band, and the Buddy Rich Big Band. He is the jazz trumpet soloist in the legendary Vanguard Jazz Orchestra (formerly Thad Jones/Mel Lewis), following in the footsteps of the great Thad Jones.

Arthur White is the new Director of Jazz Studies and Assistant Professor at Northeastern State University, Tahlequah, OK. Mr. White has degrees from Emporia State University (KS), West Virginia University, and is a candidate for the Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Arthur is quickly becoming known throughout the country as a performer, composer/arranger, clinician and educator. He has recorded with jazz legend Dewey Redman, Count Basie alums Fred Wesley(trombone) and Chris Murrell(vocals), and now with the great Scott Wendholt. White has arranged music for jazz greats Dewey Redman, Scott Wendholt, and Bobby Watson; the arrangements for Bobby Watson will be published by Hal Leonard, Inc. in late 2005. White has performed with nationally recognized jazz greats Ellis Marsalis, Bob Mintzer, Byron Stripling, Dick Oatts, Louis Bellson, Ed Neumeister, Bobby Watson, and many others.

The NSU Jazz Ensemble I is the flagship ensemble of the Jazz Studies Program at Northeastern State University, Tahlequah. Jazz Ensemble I have recently performed with internationally recognized artists such as Bobby Watson, Joe Lovano, Slide Hampton, Byron Stripling, Conrad Herwig, Jimmy Cobb, Judi Silvano, Bobby Shew, and many others. NSU is the only higher education institution in the state of Oklahoma to offer a major in music with a jazz studies focus, leading to the Bachelor of Arts in Music with a Jazz Studies emphasis. The jazz curriculum offers NSU Jazz Ensemble I and II, several small jazz groups, and courses in Jazz Improvisation, Jazz History and Appreciation, Jazz Arranging and Composition, and Music Notation and Sequencing. NSU hosts the Green Country Jazz Festival, the longest running jazz festival in the state. The NSU Jazz Lab, a unique state of the art performance facility, serves as the home for the jazz studies program. The NSU Jazz Studies program has hosted concerts performed by Wynton Marsalis, Kenny Barron, Kevin Mahogany, Marvin Stamm, Ravi Coltrane, Bobby Watson, Mulgrew Miller, John Patitucci, Diana Krall, Russell Malone, T.S. Monk, and Eliane Elias, to name but a few.

Recorded May 8-9, 2005 at the NSU Jazz Lab

• Producer - Arthur White
• Assistant Producer - Shane Ohlson
• Recording Engineers - Jeff Parker for Cimarron Sound Lab
• Assistant Engineers - Shane Ohlson, Jared Stone
• Mixing Engineers - Jeff Parker, Jared Stone
• Mastering - Jeff Parker
• Cover Design - Mike Brown
• Layout Design - Bobby C. Martin
• Photography - Sean Kennedy and Mike Brown

Special Thanks

Jack Edwards and Lynnell Bradfield, Citizens Security Bank, Broken Arrow, OK; Ginny Davis, Jim and Joy Mullins, Jerry and Brenda Spry, Steve and Lacinda Verbos, Alpha Rho chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi; Ken and Barbara Weikel.

Additional Thanks

Dr. Larry Williams, President of NSU; Dr. Jim Pate, Vice President of Academic Affairs; Dr. Paul Westbrook, Dean, College of Liberal Arts; Dr. Mark Bighley, Chair, Department of Performing Arts; NSU Music Faculty; Megan White, Phyllis Wilmon, Bobby Asher.

Extra special thanks to Scott Wendholt for his graceful musicianship and beautiful spirit; the entire production team for their tireless efforts; Lowell Lehman, Joe Davis and Will Campbell for laying down the groundwork; and, most importantly, to the band for their hard work, dedication, and belief in this project!

All proceeds from the sale of this recording will benefit the NSU Jazz Studies Program, and are used to support the program through public performances, tours, and recordings.

This CD sponsored in part by: Citizens Security Bank Solutions for Life - Broken Arrow and NSU Jazz Lab.