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Rick Lawn

Richard (Rick) Lawn is the former, now retired Dean of the College of Performing Arts at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia (uarts.edu) where he now following retirement professor emeritus in the School of Music. Previously he was the Founding Director of Jazz Studies, Chair of the Department of Music, and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. Before joining the Texas faculty Rick was Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Northern Iowa. Rick holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Eastman School of Music where his principal teachers were Rayburn Wright, Bill Dobbins, Chuck Mangione and William Osseck. Grants from the National Endowment of the Arts have supported his work as a composer, and as a member of the Nova Saxophone Quartet he has recorded on the Musical Heritage Society, Crystal and Equilibrium labels. He has also served on the IAJE Board and contributed numerous articles to this organization’s journal as well as the MENC Journal and the Instrumentalist magazines. The Sea Breeze record label issued Unknown Soldiers, a CD recorded by the Third Coast Jazz Orchestra featuring his compositions and arrangements. Kendor, CL Barnhouse, Walrus, Concept Music, Alfred, Dorn, and UNC Press music among others publish his compositions included on this web site. Rick’s books entitled The Jazz Ensemble Directors Manual (CL Barnhouse Music), Jazz Theory and Practice (that includes interactive software pub. by Alfred Music), Experiencing Jazz (Routledge Press) , Jazz Scores and Analysis Volumes 1 & 2 (Sher Music) and have become staples among jazz professionals, educators and students. He has performed with artists such as, Mel Torme, Ray Charles, Nately Cole, Nancy Wilson, Joe Williams, Bill Watrous, Aretha Franklin, Jimmy Ford, Rosemary Clooney and many others. Rick performed extensively with Lionel Hampton and Chuck Mangione early in his career. He has also performed with the Rochester Philharmonic, Houston Opera Orchestra and the Austin Symphony as well as numerous pit orchestras for Broadway shows. For many years the Selmer Company sponsored his clinics, performances guest conducting appearances in 13 states. His most recent recording as leader and composer/arranger received strong reviews and was aired across the US. Entitled "Earth Tones" if features Power of 10, a Philadelphia band of some of the finest musicians in the area. The CD is available from CD Baby and other online outlets. Until recently Rick performed with COMPASS, a jazz quartet that played together intermittently for 45 years! It's hard to believe but Frederiksberg Records chose to reissue their one limited release recording "Compass Rises" from 1973! It is available from BandCamp - https://frederiksbergrecords.bandcamp.com/album/compass-rises on high quality vinyl or as a digital download complete with old photos and a history of the quartet.

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Interview

Rick Lawn: The Evolution of Big Band Sounds in America

Read "Rick Lawn: The Evolution of Big Band Sounds in America" reviewed by Victor L. Schermer


From the latter part of the Jazz Age through the Swing Era, big bands dominated the jazz scene and a large part of the entertainment industry. After World War II, their fortunes declined, but their music soared to new heights, spurred on by innovative leaders, instrumentalists, and very importantly, the composers/arrangers who worked behind the scenes writing the large ensemble scores which required increasing ingenuity and resourcefulness. The back story of what made the big bands transform over time is ...

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Live Review

Rick Lawn's Power of Ten at Chris' Jazz Cafe

Read "Rick Lawn's Power of Ten at Chris' Jazz Cafe" reviewed by Victor L. Schermer


Power of Ten Rick Lawn, Musical Director Chris' Jazz Café Philadelphia, PA February 4, 2014 The Power of Ten is a cracker-jack ensemble of some of the best Philadelphia-based musicians. Powered by its founder and leader, Rick Lawn, their first and only CD, Earth Tones (Self-produced, 2011) impressed this reviewer sufficiently that he seized the opportunity to hear them live at the club everybody knows simply as “Chris" on a ...

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Opinion

What's Wrong With Today's Live Jazz

Read "What's Wrong With Today's Live Jazz" reviewed by Richard Lawn


What's wrong with today's live jazz scene? There has been a great deal of whining about the climate for live jazz these days. The complaints are sometimes accompanied by speculation about why jazz seems to have slipped off the radar, particularly in many major cities such as jny: Philadelphia. The complaints, however, are often unaccompanied by suggestions about fixing the problems, or any specific theories about why and how things have disintegrated. Before I go any ...

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Extended Analysis

Rick Lawn’s Power of Ten Little Big Band: Earth Tones

Read "Rick Lawn’s Power of Ten Little Big Band: Earth Tones" reviewed by Victor L. Schermer


Rick Lawn's Power of Ten Little Big BandEarth TonesSelf Produced2011The “little" big band format, an ensemble that may range from seven to 11 instrumentalists, gives the leader/arranger/composer--in this case the multi-faceted reed player Rick Lawn--a chance to finely craft the music and bring in players who are equally at home with small groups and big bands and have the ability to work with complex arrangements incorporating solos, simultaneous improvisation and ensemble work. ...

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Book Review

Experiencing Jazz

Read "Experiencing Jazz" reviewed by Victor L. Schermer


Experiencing JazzRichard J. LawnMcGraw-HillISBN: 00724517932007Newly published, Experiencing Jazz, by Richard J. Lawn, is a multimedia textbook with an accompanying CD-ROM, an online learning center for students and instructors, and an optional CD containing complete music tracks. The book covers all aspects of jazz from its inception to the present day, in a highly organized learning format with illustrations, photos, music and interview excerpts, self-tests, time lines, and information about the ...

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Primary Instrument

Saxophone

Location

Philadelphia

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Credentials/Background

I have taught saxophone and clarinet for over 40 years. I am presently affiliated with the Conservatory of Musical Arts. I also teach jazz arranging and composition as well as jazz theory and jazz history. At this point I teach these subjects primarily online or in visiting lecture situations.

Clinic/Workshop Information

I served for many years as a Selmer sponsored soloist and clinician performing in many states across the US

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Music

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