Weekend of Jazz will be 6:30-9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22 at the Beavercreek High School Alumni Auditorium, 2660 Dayton Xenia Rd., Dayton.
Tickets are available now.
Beavercreek City Schools jazz ensembles will start off the weekend on Friday. The performances are observed by jazz professionals, who offer constructive criticism and encouragement for the young musicians.
WOJ is slated to have over 30 schools from all over Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana performing on two stages throughout Saturday. In the evening, the jazz festival will be highlighted by a performance from the One O’Clock Lab Band: the premier performing ensemble of the internationally acclaimed University of North Texas jazz studies program.
Currently under the direction of Alan Baylock, One O’Clock has garnered an unprecedented seven Grammy-Award nominations over the years, one or more per decade under every director since the 1970s. The jazz band’s concerts feature a wealth of compositions and arrangements from the UNT jazz library, written by current and former North Texas students, director Baylock, Grammy-nominated composers, in addition to library classics and contemporary jazz writers.
Alumni of the North Texas jazz program are ubiquitous in the professional music industry—including Jeff Coffin, of Dave Matthews Band, who performed at last year’s Weekend of Jazz.
The One O’Clock Lab Band continues to inspire new generations of musicians through its international touring and studio recordings—honoring the past while forging the future, which aligns with the annual WOJ motto: “where the future of jazz meets the legends of jazz.”
Alan Baylock is in his ninth year directing the One O’Clock Lab Band. He served 20 years in the United States Air Force and was the Chief Arranger for Airmen of Note, the Air Force’s top jazz band.
As an Air Force composer and arranger, one of the projects Baylock worked on was a musical that touched on the history of the Wright Brothers. He said that coming to the Miami Valley, close to his aviation roots, holds a special place in his heart.
There are currently 21 members in One O’Clock—“pretty big, big band,” as Baylock says—with five saxophones, five trumpets, five trombones, violin, guitar, bass, drums, piano and voice.
“I still see big bands as a way to push the music forward,” he said. “Some of the big bands that are on the scene, and I like to think that the One O’Clock is one of those, are still representing jazz history, but at the same time pushing the envelope and looking for new sounds and new ways to create jazz.”
When Baylock was in his early 20s, he heard the One O’Clock Lab Band on tour in Virginia. He called the experience “life-changing,” and hopes to do the same for the next generation of jazz players.
“I could not believe the sound that they were getting and the level of the soloists,” he said. “We’re really looking forward to being in that spotlight, just to inspire the younger generation and to be inspired by them as well.”
Brandon Berry writes about the Dayton and Southwest Ohio music and art scene. Have a story idea for him? Email branberry100@gmail.com.
HOW TO GO
What: The One O’Clock Lab Band at Weekend of Jazz
When: 8 p.m., Feb. 22
Where: Beavercreek High School Alumni Auditorium, 2660 Dayton Xenia Rd., Beavercreek
Cost: Adult $30, Student/Senior $25
Tickets: woj.hometownticketing.com/embed/all
More info: weekendofjazz.org
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