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The University of Colorado Boulder Thompson Jazz Studies Program is an important part of the music scene in Colorado, introducing local audiences to the jazz leaders of tomorrow and bringing in the biggest names in the industry today to the College of Music for class, concerts and collaborations.

And it’s also churning out some hits of its own.

Recently, the jazz faculty released a CD of original compositions. “Be(bop) Boulder” features each faculty member in his respective element, crooning in the traditional style and grooving on more contemporary pieces—and doing everything in between.

“The mix is really eclectic. It reflects the range of styles and music that the faculty is interested in,” says John Gunther, director of the Thompson Jazz Studies Program. “It’s a really great representation of the collaborative spirit and mutual respect of the faculty.”

A musical pun on the campus’ “Be Boulder” campaign, the title of the CD evokes one of the more upbeat and influential genres of jazz. It’s also the title of the first track, written and performed by Gunther.

“We wanted to piggyback on the ‘Be Boulder’ brand and have a little fun with it,” he says.

The “bee-tnick” bumblebees and the album artwork were designed by jazz studies alumna Annie Booth.

The recording features the stylings of the College of Music’s eight jazz masters: Paul Mckee, Jeff Jenkins, Art Lande, Brad Goode, Bijoux Barbosa, Dave Corbus, Paul Romaine and Josh Quinlan. Gunther says it was a challenge and an accomplishment to coordinate everyone’s busy schedules and book two days for recording at in Denver.

He says recording the CD couldn’t have happened without the support of the jazz studies program’s namesakes, Jack and Jeannie Thompson.

“It’s one of the great things we can do as a result of the endowment. The Thompsons provided us with amazing opportunities as a program, including being able to record a faculty CD.”

Gunther says the CD has been getting a lot of play on local jazz stations, including in Denver. Combined with the jazz faculty’s active gig schedule along the Front Range, it’s been an important outreach and recruitment asset.

“As a faculty, we feel strongly that we should all be playing together. It makes for a stronger department,” he says. “We think it’s really good for our students to see their professors making music together, because that’s what we’re teaching them to do.

“It’s also important for prospective students to hear our playing and get to know who we are.”

The goal is to do more collaborations like these in the future, keeping the camaraderie of the jazz program strong.

There’s also a Faculty Tuesday performance planned for September 20, featuring performances of the works on the CD.

Watch this video for a sneak peek:

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5XNKPdVX-o]