UCLA Fall Jazz Concert 1
Tonight’s concert will feature the following groups: Charles Mingus Ensemble and Contemporary Jazz Ensemble, directed by Hitomi Oba; Gluck Combo and Commercial Studio Music Ensemble, directed by Duane Benjamin.
Combo and Ensemble Instructors
Hitomi Oba
See BioHailed by the LA Times as a “powerfully inventive” and “remarkably versatile L.A. musician with a penchant for crossing all over the musical place,” saxophonist and composer Hitomi Oba’s work emphasizes the integration of improvisation with pre-composed music.
She has written for and performed in various jazz and classical new music settings, including commissions by the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Green Umbrella series and the Seattle Symphony’s chamber series, and as a member of Kenny Burrell’s Los Angeles Jazz Orchestra Unlimited and the Jon Jangtet. In addition to leading her own ensembles, ranging from trios to big band, Oba is a co-founder of the new music collective, LA Signal Lab, premiering and recording stylistically diverse new music including a collaborative, multi-genre cantata. Her second jazz album, “Negai,” released under Japanese label M&I and distributor Pony Canyon, received a prestigious “Swing Journal 42nd Annual Jazz Disc Award.” Her most recent album, “Water Stem,” was released from Asian Improv Records in May 2023. A new orchestral work, co-composed with Erika Oba and based on the writing of award-winning author and organic farmer, David “Mas” Masumoto, will be premiered by the Fresno Philharmonic in February 2025.
Duane Benjamin
See BioDuane Benjamin is an accomplished performer, composer, orchestrator, and arranger. For over thirty years he has made a successful living playing trombone and electric bass, and arranging “clean, easy-to-read charts” for industry legends and everyday musicians alike.
Benjamin has performed and recorded with jazz greats like the Count Basie Orchestra, Stanley Clark, The Gerald Wilson Orchestra, and The Clayton–Hamilton Orchestra, not to mention contemporary legends like Justin Timberlake, Michael Jackson, Joss Stone, Diana Ross, Earth Wind and Fire, Jamiroquai, Gladys Knight, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, The Four Tops, rock guitarist Steve Vai, Kirk Franklin and many more. As an orchestrator, his work has also been featured on top-rated television shows such as American Idol and the Voice.
Repertoire
Charles Mingus Ensemble
“Monsters from Murphy Hall” by Ruby Lim-Moreno and poem, “the Second Olive Tree” by Mahmoud Darwish
“15/8” by Andrew Hill
“Duke Ellington’s Sound of Love” by Charles Mingus
“Meditations on Integration” by Charles Mingus
Musicians:
Shannae Bernales – voice
Hugo Nguyen – voice
Ruby Lim-Moreno – bass trombone and baritone
Christian Rodriguez – guitar
Sydney Owens – keyboard
Roman Leitz – piano
Tim Pham – bass
Dax Corcoran – drums and percussion
Nikos White – drums and percussion
***
Contemporary Jazz Ensemble
“Composition No. 55” by Anthony Braxton
“Otoño” by Vince Mendoza
“Foreign One” – by John Hollenbeck
Musicians:
Saxophone/Woodwinds – Harry Brandt, Steve Murillo, Eli Silverman, Adam Zilberman
Trumpet/Flugelhorn – Cyrus Alva, Willie Werthimer, Adam Sondik, Yakiv Tsvietinskyi
Trombone – Sage Feldman, Matt Siasoco, Pasquale Nigro, Kenji Fujimoto
Guitar – Gavin Lancanlale
Piano – Hugo Onghai
Bass – Connor Gilbert, Amir Elahi
Drums/Percussion – Cruz Herrera, Nikos White
***
Gluck Combo
Yadayada – by Elijah Silverman
Dark Chocolate Protein Muffin – by Micah Johnson
One For All – by Jacob Williams
Flow – by Gael Saldana
Spring Song – by Adam Zilberman
Interlock – by Joshua Wong
Musicians
Elijah Silverman – Alto Sax, Tenor Sax
Gael Saldana – Tenor Sax
Adam Zilberman – Baritone Sax, Bass Clarinet
Jacob Williams – Guitar
Micah Johnson – Bass
Joshua Wong – Piano
Anthony (Nicos) White – Drums
***
Commercial Music Studio Ensemble
Hang Up Your Hang Ups – by Herbie Hancock, Wah Wah Watson, Paul Jackson. (arr. Liam Wallace)
No One Gonna Harm You – (From Sweeny Todd) by Sondheim (arr. By Duane Benjamin)
Them There Eyes – by Tauber, Tracy, Pinkard (arr. By Duane Benjamin)
Vampire – by Olivia Rodrigo and Dan Nigro (arr. By Micah Johnson)
I Want You Back – by Berry Gordy Jr., Fonce Mizell, Freddie Perren, Deke Richards (arr. By Duane Benjamin)
Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ – by Michael Jackson
Musicians
Vocalists
Shannae Bernales, Ellie Rice, Coco Mori, Mia Papadakis, Courtney Blue
Rhythm
Piano & Keyboard – Joshua Wong
Bass – Micah Johnson & Amir Elahi
Guitar – Johnny Bhaskar
Drums – Nathaniel Miles-Urdan & Anthony Herrera
Trumpets
Cyrus Alva
Nicholas Washburn
Sylvia Rutkowski
Trombone – Pasquale Nigro
Saxes
Alto – Elijah Silverman
Tenor – Gael Saldana
Bari – Joseph Cox