“If they hire me,” said Dr. David Demsey, “they know they’re getting some Thad Jones.” Demsey, who recently retired after 33 years as Coordinator of Jazz Studies at William Paterson University, is directing this year’s New Jersey Music Educators Association (NJMEA)/New Jersey Association for Jazz Education (NJAJE) All-State Jazz Ensemble.
This is the third time Demsey (photo above) has directed the ensemble, and he emphasized that, “This is not a program of arrangements that would be written for high school bands. These are pro arrangements.” Thad Jones was the first William Paterson Director of Jazz Studies, and his music is part of the university’s Living Jazz Archives. The All-State Ensemble will play his “Big Dipper”, one of his earlier arrangements, initially written for the Count Basie Orchestra. It became part of the original repertoire of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra.
Other pieces to be performed by the ensemble on Friday, November 14, at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s TD James Moody Jazz Festival, are: Toshiko Akiyoshi’s “Tuning Up”; Phil Woods’ “Randi”, arranged for the Clark Terry Big Band; Herbie Hancock’s “Dolphin Dance”, written for the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra; and Oliver Nelson’s “Stolen Moments”. The ensemble and All-State Jazz Choir will present a joint performance of Drew Zaremba’s arrangement of Stevie Wonder’s “As”.
The All-State Jazz Choir will be directed by Doug Heyburn (photo below), NJAJE Vocal Chairperson, who retired in 2023 after 29 years as West Milford Township Public Schools Choral Director. The choir will open the concert with Darmon Meader’s arrangement of the “Star Spangled Banner”. That will be followed by Kelly Kunz’s a capella arrangement of Billy Joel’s “So It Goes”, Meader’s arrangement of Rodgers and Hart’s “I Could Write a Book”; Paris Rutherford’s arrangement of Jerome Kern and Ira Gershwin’s “Long Ago and Far Away”; and Kerry Marsh’s arrangement of Eden Ahbez’s “Nature Boy”, as performed by Kurt Elling.
“It always amazes me how much music is thrown at these young singers in such a short rehearsal time,” Heyburn said. “You’re literally with them four times. I have been a part of this process for 20 years and have watched all the conductors that walk in the door arguably bring their best. And, these students pull it off at the highest level. So, as the conductor this year, I can bring that experience with me, knowing they will rise to it.” Heyburn has chosen music “from arrangers I believe are the best — Darmon Meader, Kelly Kunz, Paris Rutherford — they were always my go- to arrangers. I believe I’ve programmed Paris Rutherford in every jazz program I’ve put on.” (Rutherford, Professor in Jazz Studies at the University of North Texas, is considered one of the top vocal jazz arrangers in the country today).
Toshiko Akiyoshi’s “Tuning Up”, Demsey explained, is “sort of like a meet the band arrangement where everybody gets to solo, and all the sections are featured. It’s kind of a showcase for the band.” The Phil Woods piece, “Randi” will feature the saxophone section. The title refers to Randi Holton. “She and her husband, a Swedish couple, used to host musicians in their home when the musicians were in Scandinavia for a jazz festival. It’s written for her.” As for “Stolen Moments”, so well known as the lead track on Nelson’s 1961 Impulse! Records album, Blues in the Abstract Truth, Demsey pointed out that “the original recording was for four horns: trumpet, alto, tenor, trombone. It puts those four horns inside of a bigger band piece. The band really liked it.
“These kids,” he continued, “can really play. In older days, you were getting very talented kids who still didn’t know much about jazz. These days, there are so many schools with excellent jazz programs, and then you have programs like Jazz for Teens and Jazz House Kids and summer jazz camps like William Paterson and Rutgers have. I’m really treating this band like a professional band. They’re not playing charts that were written for students. They’re playing arrangements that were written for the professionals in Thad Jones’ band, in Toshiko’s band, in Mel Lewis’ band, or in Clark Terry’s band. This will give them a real snapshot of what it feels like to be a professional.”
The All-State Jazz Ensemble has 19 student musicians from 13 high schools. Three students are from Princeton High School, and two each are from Newark Academy, Moorestown High School, Livingston High School, and Ridgewood High School. Pianist Thomas Dinh from Robbinsville High School, has been an All-State Ensemble member for three consecutive years. In March 2024, he performed with guitarist Sally Shupe’s quintet as part of the Rising Stars opening act at the New Jersey Jazz Society’s Jersey Jazz LIVE! concert in Madison, NJ. Three other ensemble members are performing for the second straight year: Newark Academy alto saxophonist Noah Tamiso, Princeton trumpeter Lucas Comesana, and South Plainfield trombonist Cameron Van Wyk.
The All-State Jazz Choir has 17 members from 11 high schools. Four students are from Rahway High School, and two each are from Perth Amboy High School, East Brunswick High School, and Hopewell Valley Central High School. Two students — Perth Amboy alto Alina Valdez and Rahway tenor Charles Japheth — were in the choir last year. The choir will be accompanied by an instrumental jazz quintet. In addition to the November 14th NJPAC performance, the ensemble and choir will perform on Thursday, November 6, at the Claridge Celebrity Theater in Atlantic City during the New Jersey Education Association (NEA) convention.-SANFORD JOSEPHSON
DAVID DEMSEY PHOTO BY FRED H. POLITINSKY
