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Towson State University
The Towson University Jazz Ensemble: With the Old Man in Mind
by Jack Bowers
The “old man” remembered on this newest recording by the Towson University (Maryland) Jazz Ensemble is Stan Kenton, one of two Jazz giants to whom the album is dedicated. The other is Hank Levy who played saxophone in Kenton’s orchestra and also wrote and arranged for Stan before he became director of Jazz Studies at Towson. “With the Old Man in Mind” was written and arranged by Levy for Kenton’s 80th birthday celebration, held ten years ago in Las Vegas ...
read moreThe Towson State University Jazz Ensemble: The Return of the Tiger
by Jack Bowers
The third recording by the Towson State University Jazz Ensemble (which, for those who find such information useful, is in Maryland) arrived in mid–winter unclothed; that is to say, no booklet, no tray card, no liner notes, only the CD itself in a jewel box. What this means is that no personnel are listed, nor is there any information about the individual tracks such as composer, arranger, soloists or playing times. Fortunately, the music is (almost) intact (there is one ...
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