The Frost Concert Jazz Band Performs at JEN Conference in New Orleans

The Frost Concert Jazz Band Performs at JEN Conference in New Orleans.

The Frost Concert Jazz Band made an appearance a the Jazz Education Network (JEN) Conference in January of 2011. The Jazz Education Network is dedicated to building the jazz arts community by advancing education, promoting performance and developing new audiences. The Frost CJB entertained the audience with renditions of That Old Black Magic - Composed: Harold Arlen Arranged: Maria Schneider (UM alum), Rays of Awareness - Composed/Arranged by Pat Seymour (Current UM arranging student and CJB tenor player) Suite Invention - a three movement suite Composed/Arranged by Stephen Guerra, and Samba for Carmen - Composed: Paquito D'Rivera Arranged: Chico O'Farrill.

The Frost Concert Jazz Band, under the direction of Dante Luciani has been the University of Miami's premiere large jazz ensemble for over 30 years. The band has numerous recordings to its credit, which showcase the long lineage of world-class talent. Most recently, the band won Downbeat's award for outstanding performance by a college big band in 2006, best big band in 2007 and was the graduate college winner in the Large Jazz Ensemble category for 2010. Recent guest artists include Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano, Slide Hampton, Randy Brecker, Ira Sullivan, Shelly Berg, Dave Koz, Jeff Hamilton and John Clayton.

Dante Luciani is a lecturer in jazz trombone in the Department of Studio Music and Jazz at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. He is the coordinator of the Jazz Brass program and the conductor of the award-winning Frost Concert Jazz Band (CJB). Luciani earned B.M. and M.M. degrees from the University of Miami. He was formerly the lead trombonist and soloist of the Woody Herman and Maynard Ferguson Orchestras. As a trombone soloist, Luciani toured Eastern Europe with his Jazz Quintet and also performed in Istanbul, Turkey at the Nardis Jazz Club for the Istanbul Jazz Festival. He was twice featured as a soloist for the "Salsa Meets Jazz" series at the Arturo Sandoval Jazz Club and in 2005 was featured as an All-Star on The Jazz Cruise.