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Andy Jaffe

Composer, author and bandleader Andy Jaffe recently retired from teaching in the Williams College Department of Music, where he founded the jazz program and was its Director for 30 years, as well as having served from 1999-2009 as Artistic Director of The Williamstown Jazz Festival, which he also founded.

Andy has been a leader in jazz pedagogy for forty years, having taught at the Berklee College of Music (1977-81); The Institut Musical de formation Professionelle in Nimes, France (1984); The University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Graduate program in Afro-American Music and Jazz (1994-98); Amherst College (1987-99); Tufts University (1991-93); Smith College (1997-99); The Tainan (Taiwan) National University of the Arts (2009 and 2014), as well as at Williams (since 1989), where, besides directing the Jazz ensembles until 2013, he taught courses jazz hear training, theory/improvisation, arranging/composition, on the music of Duke Ellington and John Coltrane, and the music of Brazil. In addition, he is a founding faculty member at The Vermont College of Fine Arts low residency Masters program in Music Composition and the Impact Music Program at the Taipei (Taiwan) Arts University (國立臺北藝術大學)Impact Music Program.

His most recent CD, entitled “Chorinhoso”, is a compilation of his original Brazilian influenced compositions released in 2020 on the Playscape Label, about which its Downbeat review said: “Jaffe’s orchestrations are lush and impeccably voiced…their harmonic weightiness is balanced by the ethereal lucidity of a rhythm section that understands Brazilian Music.” His penultimate effort, “Arc”, featured his original compositions and has received positive reviews and extensive airplay since its release in April 2016. Musicians on both efforts include the late Wallace Roney (Trumpet), Jimmy Greene and Kris Allen (Saxophones), John Clark (French Horn), Bruce Williamson (Soprano Saxophone and Bass Clarinet), the composer’s son (and protégé of Ron Carter) Marty Jaffe on Bass, Jonathan Barber on Drums, and on “Arc” the Interestring Quartet from Taipei.

(On “Chorinhoso” Rogério Boccato plays drums and percussion, and Avery Sharpe shares bass duties with Marty Jaffe). Listed among the “top 10” releases for April 2016 by David Adler of the New York Times, Downbeat praised “Arc” for its “graceful precision”, while All About Jazz’s Mark Carroto described it as “…flawless…”.

His numerous original compositions and arrangements are written for a wide range of instrumental ensembles and vocal ensembles, from piano solo and duo to works for Jazz Orchestra. Recent projects demonstrate his compositional versatility, and include a Suite for Jazz Orchestra dedicated to his late colleague Prof. Ernest Brown, entitled “Every Day Blues” (premiered by the Berkshire Symphony under the baton of Ronald Feldman in Nov. ’12), and a series of a cappella settings of Taiwanese aboriginal folksongs by the Taipei based “Okai Singers” (these and other pieces for big band, sextet, and piano duo may be heard at the public dropbox folder located on the homepage of www.AndyJaffe.com).

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Radio & Podcasts

Andy Jaffe, Chick Corea & Christian McBride

Read "Andy Jaffe, Chick Corea & Christian McBride" reviewed by Joe Dimino


Joined by the Slovak Radio Orchestra, composer Andy Jaffe kicks off episode 688 of Neon Jazz. From there, we delve into a host of veteran musicians who released great music during 2020 including Marilyn Crispell, Helena Kay and a few others. We sadly say goodbye to legendary jazz musician Chick Corea who passed suddenly at the age of 79. Thanks Chick and enjoy the jazz, my friends. Playlist Slovak Radio Orchestra “Will You Still Be Mine" An Imperfect ...

Album Review

Andy Jaffe Nonet + 4: Arc

Read "Arc" reviewed by Alberto Bazzurro


Gran bell'ensemble, quello messo assieme dal veterano Andy Jaffe per questo suo ambizioso progetto. Ne fanno parte nomi altisonanti, più un quartetto d'archi (di Taiwan) che si unisce qua e là (per esempio già nell'iniziale “Arc") al nonetto più squisitamente jazzistico. Il materiale posto sul piatto è ottimamente oliato e confezionato, a trazione collettiva ma con ragguardevoli spunti dei solisti chiamati di volta in volta a dire la loro. Per tutta la prima parte del lavoro, tuttavia, ...

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Timothy Lee Miller
composer / conductor

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Arc

Playscape Recordings
2016

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