Jazz at Morris

Collage of people playing jazz music on various stages.

The University of Minnesota Morris is steeped in a tradition of high-quality jazz music.

Under the new direction of multi-instrumentalist and contemporary improvised music educator Steve Alford, students explore the traditional jazz paradigm coupled with modern, multi-genre improvisation and sound creation. Learn more about him at stevealfordmusic.com.

Course offerings include jazz and contemporary improvisation and theory, multi-lateral ear training and cross-instrumental instruction, jazz history and repertoire, and individual instruction in both advanced improvisation and modern music composition. Included each semester are two large jazz ensembles as well as traditional and contemporary jazz combos and small groups, all available for academic credit.

The ensembles consist of both music majors and non majors who are interested in furthering their knowledge of jazz and contemporary music while fine-tuning their musicianship and communication and leadership skills through practice, rehearsals, recordings, and performance opportunities.

Performances

Along with the curricular aspects of the ensembles, the Morris jazz program takes an active role in promoting jazz in the community as well as nationally and internationally. Over the past 20 years, the Morris jazz ensembles have performed for many music conventions including the MMEA convention in Minneapolis and the NCMENC in Chicago.

Most recently, the ensembles have traveled to:

Elmhurst Jazz Festival in Elmhurst, Illinois (2011, 2012)
State high school tours involving clinics and master classes

They have also performed internationally at:

Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland (1991, 1997, 2000, 2004, and 2008)
The North Sea Jazz Festival at The Hague, Netherlands (1994, 1997, and 2008)
Vienne Jazz Festival in Vienne, France (2004)
Carnegie Hall with The Count Basie Orchestra (1992)

The Jazz Ensembles schedule tours and have performed throughout the state of Minnesota.

The Jazz Festival, founded by Jim “Doc” Carlson, is in its 45th year. The educational, noncompetitive event attracts world-renowned jazz artists to Morris each spring. High school, community, and college jazz ensembles are invited to take part in three days of clinics and master classes by internationally recognized musicians. Each day concludes with a feature performance of the Morris jazz ensembles and the guest artists.

Photographs by Denise Vokoun and Morgan Dresch

Director, Steve Alford

Steve Alford serves as the Director of Jazz and Contemporary Improvisation Studies and Professor of Saxophone at University of Minnesota, Morris.

A multi-instrumentalist specializing in the performance and university education of contemporary music, Alford began his career as a saxophone graduate of the studio music and jazz program from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami in the mid 1990s. After multiple years on the road across the United States and Europe he settled in Chicago in the late 90's and began pursuing an in-depth study of harmony clarinets, appearing regularly on both saxophone and bass clarinet in the straight-ahead jazz, modern improvised music, and experimental indy-rock scenes across the midwest.

Relocating to Asheville, North Carolina after ten years in Illinois, Alford was recruited to teach modern jazz and improvised music at both Mars Hill University and the University of North Carolina-Asheville. While serving UNC-Asheville as an adjunct professor of jazz and contemporary music, he completed his Masters in Jazz at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, concurrently developing a new contemporary music pedagogy focusing on multi-lateral ear training, multi-instrumental rhythm section methods class, "mind's ear" sonic exploration, and melodic immersion. This personal system, a lauded and successful departure from the rote-memorization of patterns and theory often employed in traditional jazz education, made him a sought-after clinician and guest artist across the Southeast USA.

During the past decade, he has composed, produced and recorded his most adventurous music to date including his acclaimed 11 piece modern big band, the multi-genre improvisation-based collective known as Rational Discourse, the E.Normus Trio (an alto clarinet, N/S Stick, and drums trio within the punk-jazz genre), his quintet METAL (two trash can drum systems, two double bassists, and himself on electrified contra-alto clarinet and electrified english horn), and his new standards jazz trio and quartets, each re-imagining small group jazz through an open and free approach to harmony while remaining grounded in tradition.

Most recently, in the Fall of 2022, Alford was invited to become the new coordinator for Jazz and Contemporary Improvisation Studies at the University of Minnesota - Morris, and is excited to bring his curriculum of modern multi-genre improvisation study grounded in traditional jazz roots to the University of Minnesota system.

Contact Steve Alford

Expand all

Visiting Jazz Artist Program

The Visiting Jazz Artist Program creates and opportunity for UMN Morris music students to collaborate with some of the most prestigious jazz musicians in the northern Midwest. A variety of regional and nationaly recognized jazz artists will be visiting the UMM campus multiple times each semester to perform and work with UMM music students.

Features of the Visiting Jazz Artist Program

Interactive performances between Visiting Jazz Artists and UMN Morris music students
Masterclasses and clinics
Individual and group lessons

Previous Visiting Jazz Artists include:

Chris Bates (Minneapolis, MN)
Bryan Nichols (Minneapolis, MN)
JT Bates (Minneapolis, MN)
Clay Jenkins (Rochester, NY)

Media

Jazz Auditions

Auditions for ensembles and class permission take place at the beginning of the fall semester.

Date, time, and audition requirements are posted on the sign up sheet in the main bulletin board in the Music wing of the Humanities Fine Arts (HFA) building. Once you arrive to campus, visit the building to sign up for a time.

Music

Contact:

Performances

+ Visiting Jazz Artist Program

Features of the Visiting Jazz Artist Program

Previous Visiting Jazz Artists include:

+ Media

+ Jazz Auditions

Visiting Jazz Artist Program

Media

Jazz Auditions