Manny About Town
Dig That New World Beat
Jazz greats perform with student musicians

By Manny Meland

Jim Gasior and Manny Meland

John Fedchock, Jim Gasior and the New World School of Arts Jazz Ensemble performing together on one stage—this I had to see.

Trombonist John Fedchuck is known as a pillar of the Woody Herman Orchestra, a top band of the big band era. Jim Gasior has been the devoted director of music of the New World School of Arts Jazz Ensemble for the past nine years. On May 13, they and the school’s jazz ensemble performed together at the Gable Stage in Coral Gables.

“The students were ready and excited to play with a musician of this caliber,” exclaimed Gasior, himself a graduate of the University of Miami with bachelors and masters degrees in musical education. The participation by Fedchuck and the dedication of Gasior explains why this orchestra has achieved such a high level of excellence.

The New World School of Arts was created by the Florida Legislature as a center of excellence in the performing and visual arts. The 18-piece Jazz Ensemble consists of a four-piece sax section (that includes alto, soprano, tenor and baritone saxes), five trumpets, four trombones, a guitar, two bass, a piano and drums.

New World School of the Arts Jazz Ensemble

This was Fedchuck’s encore visit to the New World School of Arts high school jazz ensemble after an absence of six years. He spent two weeks here rehearsing the band for the concert. At six feet five inches tall, this iconic slide trombonist stood shoulder to shoulder (figuratively speaking) with five feet six inches tall band trombonist Ivan Malespin as they belted out a duet of one of Fedchock’s jazz composition called J Birds..

All but one piece played that evening were composed and arranged by Fedchock. The school’s full swing orchestra did his music proud. He did not write “Laura”, the only slow tune performed in this program. Woody Herman asked him to arrange this song for his band crooner Johnny Mercer. Fedchuck toured with Herman’s Thundering Herd for seven years as its musical director and their featured trombone soloist. One of this evening’s songs, “The Aristocrat”, expressed Fedchuck’s high regard for the maestro. Other songs that he composed and arranged that were played this evening were “Breakthrough”, “Latin Import”, “Elvin’s Empire”, “Up & Running” and “Nightshades”.

Fedchock is a strong advocate of arts in education. He is a trombone instructor at Purchase College in Purchase, New York, and a visiting jazz faculty member at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, as well as a graduate of the Ohio State University with a degree in Music Education and Jazz Studies. He also holds a masters degree in Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media from the prestigious Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.

John Fedchuck and Manny Meland

Under Gasior’s direction, many students in the Jazz Ensemble have gained national recognition, several from the Downbeat Students Music Awards and others, participation in the High School Grammy Band in Los Angeles. Furthermore, under his guidance, the Ensemble placed first in 2005 in the Entirely Ellington competition at the Lincoln Center in New York. They were among the top three in 2007. The judging by Ellington authority David Berger, by pianist/composer Stanley Cowel and by Winton Marsalis illustrates the caliber of this event. This year, Gasior guided the band to fist place at the Swing Central Competition in Savannah, Georgia.

Fedchuck finished his Miami tour playing the Jazz Club at the Deauville Beach Resort, formerly Arturo Sandoval’s Jazz Club.

You can see Gasior pounding the ivories every Wednesday in a jazz jam session gig at Tobacco Road with Miami’s Be-Bob Grabowski and Rudolfo Zuniga.

For more information on the New World School of the Arts, visit www.nwsa.mdc.edu
For more information on Tobacco Road, visit www.tobacco-road.com

Have a comment about what you’ve read? E-mail letters@miamiartzine.com.