Jazz at Southeastern

 

Southeastern’s long and distinguished jazz history includes being the alma mater of pianist Bill Evans (1950 BM), the recipient of seven Grammy Awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award by The Recording Academy. Other notable jazz alumni include Craig Klein (2021 Grammy Award Winner), Durand Jones and Zakk Garner. The Department of Music and Performing Arts offers the Bachelor of Music, Concentration in Jazz Studies.

The Bill Evans Jazz Festival, presented every April, includes four days of concerts featuring a nationally known guest artist with the Southeastern Faculty Jazz Quartet and University Jazz Ensemble. The festival also presents the Louisiana Association for Jazz Education State Jazz Festival, hosting over 40 jazz ensembles from throughout the region ranging from junior high to university level, making it one of the largest collegiate jazz festivals on the gulf coast.

The Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies in Sims Memorial Library is home to the Bill Evans Archive which houses interviews, letters, manuscripts, recordings and other items related to Bill Evans career and time at Southeastern.

 

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Jazz Faculty

Michael Brothers, Director of Jazz Studies, University Jazz Ensemble, Jazz History, Jazz Pedagogy

John Madere, University Jazz Lab Band, University Jazz Combo, Jazz Improvisation I & II

Vasil Cvetkov, Applied Jazz Piano, Basic Jazz Piano, Jazz Arranging I & II, Jazz Theory & Composition

Henry Jones, Applied Jazz Piano

 

Jazz Studies Courses

Applied Lessons

Jazz Ensemble

Jazz Lab Band

Jazz Combo

Fundamentals of Jazz Improvisation

Jazz Improvisation II

History and Appreciation of Jazz

Basic Jazz Piano

Jazz Theory/Composition

Jazz Arranging I & II

Jazz Pedagogy