One O'Clock Lab Band

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The One O'Clock Lab Band is the premiere jazz ensemble of the University of North Texas' College of Music. Known colloquially as "The One O'Clock" or simply "The One," the band derives its name from its rehearsal time of 1:00 to 1:50 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Its big band -style instrumentation includes five saxophones, five trumpets, five trombones, guitar, piano, bass, drumset, and sometimes additional instrumentalists, vocalists, and/or guest soloists. The One O'Clock Lab Band is directed by Neil Slater, Grammy-nominated composer and chair of jazz studies at UNT. The band's albums have been nominated for four Grammys and the band is universally acclaimed for superior individual musicianship and tight unit performance.

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[edit] History

Founded by Gene (M.E.) Hall, the University of North Texas (formerly North Texas State University, or NTSU) College of Music's jazz degree program received official sanction in 1947 and was the first of its kind in the nation. Leon Breeden was director of Jazz Studies at North Texas from 1959 to 1981 and led the One O'Clock Lab Band in winning one of its first important awards as Best Jazz Band in the 1961 Notre Dame Collegiate Jazz Festival. Since then, countless students have honed their skills at North Texas, successfully reaching a respected seat in the One O'Clock Lab Band, and subsequently achieving a notable career as a professional musician in the world of jazz performance. One O'Clock Lab Band students and alumni have always been respected throughout the world as the best of the best at their trade.

[edit] Recordings

The band has a history of yearly recordings dating back to the 1960s, known simply by the title Lab 'XX, the two-digit abbreviation being the year in which the 20th-century recording was made (ex. "Lab '85" or "Lab '00"); in the case of 21st-century recordings, the year is not abbreviated (ex. "Lab 2001" or "Lab 2006.") A list of available recordings can be found here. Ordering information for all North Texas Jazz ensembles can be found here.

[edit] One O'Clock Ambassadors

The One O'Clock Lab Band made a three week tour of Japan and spent a week in Hong Kong during the summer of 1996. They have performed at music festivals around the world in places such as Finland, France, Germany and Portugal. The band has also toured Russia, Mexico, Australia and, more recently, Thailand and Eastern Europe. The band often performs at the annual IAJE conference. In July 2008, the band will play at major European festivals. Plans are being finalized now. Festivals may include France: Lyon, Vienne; Switzerland: Montreux, Brienz; Germany: Rüdesheim; Netherlands: North Sea (Rotterdam); Italy: Rome, Tuscia, Umbria, Tuscan (Florence); France: Antibes, Nice. Information about this summer's tour and how you can help can be found here.

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] External Links