The UNLV Wind Orchestra, under the direction of Thomas G. Leslie and Zane S. Douglass, is set to dazzle audiences at Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 21 with their highly anticipated concert, Banzai Pipeline.
This performance includes a lineup of world-class talent, including Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Eric Marienthal, alongside an all-star rhythm section: Mitchel Forman on piano, Kevin Axt on bass, and Bernie Dresel on drums. Together, they will take you on a musical journey that promises to be unforgettable.
Prepare to be swept away by the world premieres of two explosive Don Ellis classics, "Whiplash" and "Go Back Home," freshly re-imagined by Ocean Akaka; George Gershwin’s iconic "Second Prelude"; and Michael Kamen’s electrifying "Concerto for Saxophone", featuring Marienthal in a show-stopping performance. The excitement continues with the world premiere of Jorge Machain’s concerto for jazz quartet, "Banzai Pipeline," an exhilarating new work that will showcase Marienthal alongside his star-studded trio.
This concert is a high-octane fusion of jazz, contemporary music, and jaw-dropping virtuosity you won't to miss.
Tickets are $20 and available at the Secure your UNLV Performing Arts Center, online, or by calling 702-895-ARTS (2787). Discounts are available.
Guest Artists
Eric Marienthal
After graduating high school in Southern California in 1976, Eric went on to study at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass. There he studied with the legendary saxophone professor, Joe Viola. By the time he left Berklee, Eric had achieved the highest proficiency rating given by the school. In 1995, Eric was awarded the Berklee Distinguished Alumnus Award for outstanding achievements in contemporary music. He has since gone on to perform in over 75 different countries, recorded 15 solo CD's and has played on hundreds of records, films, television shows, and commercial jingles.
Eric started his professional career in 1980 with famed New Orleans trumpeter Al Hirt. After returning to Los Angeles Eric became a member of the famed Chick Corea Elektric Band. He recorded 6 CD's with the band and won 2 Grammy Awards. Eric went on to join the Jeff Lorber Fusion. Among the CD’s Eric recorded with Jeff, 2 were nominated for Grammy Awards. Jeff Lorber was instrumental is producing many of Eric’s CD’s. Other artists Eric has performed with include Elton John, Barbara Streisand, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick, Burt Bacharach, Aaron Neville, Johnny Mathis, Dave Grusin, Lee Ritenour, George Duke, David Benoit, The Rippingtons, The Gordon Goodwin Big Phat Band, Patti Austin, Lou Rawls, David Lee Roth, The Yellowjackets, B.B. King, Ramsey Louis, Patti Labelle, Olivia Newton-John, Marcus Miller, Michael McDonald and many others.
Among Eric's 15 solo albums, his latest is a collaboration with legendary trumpeter Randy Brecker entitled “Double Dealin” on Shanachie Records. This CD was nominated for a GRAMMY Award for “Best Contemporary Instrumental Album”. Eight of the songs that Eric has recorded have made it to the top 10 of the National Contemporary Jazz Radio Charts and three have made it to #1. Eric was voted as being one of the year's "Favorite Alto Sax Players" in Jazziz Magazine's Readers Poll along with David Sanborn and Phil Woods. Since 2015 Eric has maintained an online saxophone school with ArtistWorks, www.artistworks.com/eric. In Eric’s school there are over 200 video lessons, tracks, songs, exercises and more for every level of player from beginners to advanced players. Students can also take advantage of the Video Exchanges where they can submit a video of whatever they are working on and Eric posts a video response for the students to see.
Eric has also written 3 instructional books, "Comprehensive Jazz Studies & Exercises", The Ultimate Jazz Play Along" and "The Music Of Eric Marienthal" as well as 3 instructional videos, "Play Sax From Day One", "Modern Sax" and "Tricks Of The Trade", all published by Warner Bros. Publications which is now Alfred Publishing/Belwin Jazz.
Bernie Dresel
Bernie Dresel has been one of the busiest studio and live musicians in the world as both a drummer and percussionist since moving to Los Angeles in 1983 after graduating from the prestigious Eastman School of Music. He has traveled the world, occupying the coveted drum chair for Grammy Award-winning Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band since its inception in 1999. And also, for an overlapping 15 years (1992 to 2006), he was the drummer for the multi-Grammy Award-winning Brian Setzer Orchestra, selling close to 4 million records. Modern Drummer magazine’s readers’ poll named Bernie “Best Big Band Drummer” and Drum! Magazine has put him on their list of “53 Drummers Who Made a Difference in the ’90s” as well as honoring him with a Drummie® for Best Big Band Drummer.
Dresel’s jazz orchestra, The BBB, is without question one of Los Angeles’ most exciting large jazz ensembles, if not on the planet. It is one of the most innovative and original hard-swinging large jazz ensembles ever. The BBB provides potent testimony to the sheer exhilaration of big band jazz...a combination of intense swing and fiery soloing, as well as tight ensemble playing, powered by Bernie Dresel’s extraordinary drumming talents.
The BBB is comprised of 16 seasoned pros on the Los Angeles studio scene. Populated by LA’s finest players, The BBB delivers a contemporary, highly original sound featuring the witty, intricate, and hard-swinging compositions of established and up-and-coming composers and arrangers. And like those other famous jazz orchestras such as Buddy Rich’s, Count Basie’s, Woody Herman’s, Stan Kenton’s, Maynard Ferguson’s, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis’ and Gerald Wilson’s, the music and delivery of The BBB’s music is nothing less than astonishing when experienced live. The sound has a contemporary, dynamic, and hard-swinging energy, with a focused edge to it that is like no other jazz orchestra, though, reminiscent of Buddy Rich’s ensembles. The band make-up is unique in that there is no piano but jazz/rockin’ electric guitar instead, in addition to four trumpets, four trombones, five saxophones, and upright acoustic slap bass and drums. When people hear Bernie’s BBB, the first thing that hits them is its energy and intensity.
At the helm of The BBB is jazz drummer extraordinaire Bernie Dresel. Bernie is the first-call drummer and percussionist on the Hollywood stage for motion picture and television soundtracks. Count Basie, Maynard Ferguson, Woody Herman, Duke Ellington, Buddy Rich, Thad Jones and Mel Lewis, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Tower Of Power, among many others established and new jazz orchestra composers and arrangers, fill the book for the music his band makes today. And like those other bands, Dresel’s rendering style is nothing less than exciting, driven by one of the most accomplished jazz drummers in the world.
Established in 2014, with a live performance tribute to Buddy Rich, The BBB plays monthly at jazz clubs in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
Prior to forming his own jazz orchestra, Bernie backed Maynard Ferguson, the Brian Setzer Orchestra, and Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band. Bernie served 15 years for both Setzer and Goodwin. He has been the drummer on numerous Brian Setzer Grammy Award®-winning recordings and more recently on every recording that Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band has released, including the Grammy Award-winners.
Ken Axt
Bassist Kevin Axt was born in Burbank, California. He attended the University of Southern California as a music major and subsequently began his career in Los Angeles as a freelance bassist. Proficient on both upright and electric basses, Kevin has toured and recorded with many artists across several musical genres.
To date, he has performed on over 200 albums which have garnered 23 Grammy nominations, as well as on hundreds of feature films and television shows. His credits include artists Natalie Cole, The Manhattan Transfer, Chuck Mangione, Eddie Daniels, Dave Grusin, Shelby Lynne, The Tierney Sutton Band, Bernadette Peters, Hank Jones, Phil Woods, Dave Koz, Glenn Frey, David Benoit, Arturo Sandoval and Seal.
Axt currently lives in Santa Clarita, California, and continues to pursue an active career in music as one of Los Angeles’s most in-demand bassists.
Mitchel Forman
Born in Brooklyn, Mitchel Forman began studying classical piano at age 7. At 17 he entered the Manhattan School of Music for three years of study and began working with bands in New York.
Shortly after graduating from MSM Mitchel began touring and recording with Gerry Mulligan, playing in both his big band and quartet. Work with Stan Getz followed. In 1980 his solo career began with a piano performance at the Newport Jazz Festival. This recording became Mitchel’s first album, “Live at Newport.”
The next few years brought new challenges to Forman with work on the road with Phil Woods, Carla Bley, Mel Torme, and Astrud Gilberto. He also recorded two solo piano albums for Soul Note and toured in Europe regularly. Forman spent the early 80s as one of the most sought after studio musicians in New York, working with a multitude of gifted artists (see discography) not the least of whom was guitarist John McLaughlin.
He joined MacLaughlin’s Mahavishnu and spent a year and a half on the road with McLaughlin, recording and contributing to two of the band’s benchmark recordings – the seminal “Mahavishnu” and “Adventures in Radioland.”
Forman then joined legendary ex-Weather Report saxophonist Wayne Shorter, touring, recording and contributing to Shorter’s “Phantom Navigator”.
With all this world-class experience under his belt, Forman naturally progressed to leading his own band and recorded his group debut for Windham Hill, “Train of Thought.” At the same time he continued to work with other luminaries like guitarist John Scofield (“Blue Matter”), Mike Stern (“Upside Downside”) Janis Siegal, Dave Samuels, Diane Schuur, Gary Burton (Reunion GRP), Pat Metheny, Wayne Shorter, Simon Phillips, Freddie Hubbard, Bill Evans, and Ricki Lee Jones.
Forman continues to record and play under his own name and has recently started his own record label, “Marsis Jazz.” His most recent releases have been “Puzzle, “Sing Along With Mitch,” “Perspectives” “Mr. Clean” and “Patience”, all on his own label. He also co-leads the band Metro with guitarist Chuck Loeb. Metro’s six albums, the debut “Metro” the follow-up “Tree People” (Lipstick), “Metrocafe”, “Metrolive”, “Express”and “Grapevine” have all met with critical acclaim. The quartet with Wolgang Haffner on drums and Mel Brown on bass tours annually in Europe.
About the UNLV College of Fine Arts
The College of Fine Arts educates, empowers, and engages creative people to become visionary change-makers in the arts through acts of imagination. At UNLV we believe the arts are an essential good for society. We make education relevant and accessible through our programs and outreach. We create new knowledge in the arts. We celebrate independent thought and the power of bringing people together to foster creativity.
