Jazz

This Friday, March 28th, The Bad Plus will take the stage at the Treefort Music Festival, bringing their dynamic and boundary-pushing sound to eager fans. Get your tickets now for what promises to be an electrifying performance.

For this episode of Don’t Call it Jazz, I am honored to present the live recording from the debut performance of my new composition, “Voluntary Breath” a concerto for orchestra and solo saxophone. The piece was premiered by the Great Falls Symphony, based in Great Falls, Montana, under the direction of Grant Harville.

I am very excited to welcome my wonderful music department colleague Jenna McLean back on the show, to talk about and check out her new album, For Your Love.

I am excited to welcome Dr. Jenna McLean, my colleague in the ISU music department and co-director of the commercial music big band to Don’t Call it Jazz. Jenna and I converted the big band to this open-instrumentation group as a way to better represent and support the growing and dynamic talent of the commercial music program. We put together ten interesting new arrangements of songs by Stevie Wonder for our debut concert, Friday October 25th in Jensen Hall at the Stephen’s Performing Arts Center. Concert starts at 7:30pm, tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance.

It is the 10-year anniversary of my debut album, Farewell, which was released in 2014 on Orenda Records, a Los Angeles-based creative jazz label. The album consists of five tracks, original compositions, and arrangements for a 23-piece jazz orchestra of incredible LA-based jazz musicians.

It is the 10-year anniversary of my debut album, Farewell, which was released in 2014 on Orenda Records, a Los Angeles-based creative jazz label. The album consists of five tracks, original compositions, and arrangements for a 23-piece jazz orchestra of incredible LA-based jazz musicians.

Don’t Call it Jazz is trying a new type of conversation show where host Jon Armstrong is joined by his longtime friend and musical collaborator Keith Kelly. The two of them will be trying a couple different show formats including, Old and New Dreams, where they compare an old classic album with a modern one.

Claire's album is an exciting mix of pop, electronica, rock, jazz, and funk.During this two episode, Jon and Claire discuss the process of producing and releasing the album, what life after college looks like, and her goals as an artist and educator.

Don’t Call it Jazz welcomes all three members of the great Idaho jazz trio, The Kindness, to talk about their debut album, available now on City Creek Records.

Don’t Call it Jazz is thrilled to welcome Dr. Jenna McLean to Idaho State University as a new professor in jazz and commercial music.