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A Merger In Jazz Education

By Ed Hamilton
July 23, 2011
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A musical merger of higher education has been established at the last university to include jazz into their curriculum—UCLA. Jazz Studies, under Director/guitarist Dr.

Kenny Burrell

guitar, electric
b.1931

" data-original-title="" title="">Kenny Burrell, The

Herb Alpert

trumpet
b.1935

" data-original-title="" title="">Herb Alpert School of Music , and the

Thelonious Monk

piano
1917 - 1982

" data-original-title="" title="">Thelonious Monk Institute, guided by

" data-original-title="" title="">Herbie Hancock, have all joined jazztistical bonds in providing not only jazz but all-around musical learning for all students seeking the realms of higher educational degrees in music.

Jazz education was brought to UCLA when Burrell started teaching "Ellingtonia," a class on

Duke Ellington

piano
1899 - 1974

" data-original-title="" title="">Duke Ellington in 1978—"It was

Thad Jones

trumpet
1923 - 1986

" data-original-title="" title="">Thad Jones who turned my ear to the inner sound of Ellington; he was one of my heroes that really succeeded in the music business," Burrell stated. "Number one, he was a jazz musician and an African American, a citizen of the world, a role model, a great businessman. He is American many times over." Burrell presented the idea to Dr. Claudia Mitchell Kernan, Director of the Center on Afro-American Studies. With his brainchild, the guitarist taught for 18 years, until UCLA created the Jazz Studies Program in 1996, appointing him Director. By this time, he was a world-renowned performer and recording artist on the Blue Note and Verve labels, with artists including

John Coltrane

saxophone
1926 - 1967

" data-original-title="" title="">John Coltrane,

Jimmy Smith

organ, Hammond B3
1925 - 2005

" data-original-title="" title="">Jimmy Smith and

Stanley Turrentine

saxophone, tenor
1934 - 2000

" data-original-title="" title="">Stanley Turrentine.

The creation of a Jazz Studies Program was the realization of a goal he'd set for himself while studying music in the 1950s. "When I was in college, I was disturbed by the fact that jazz was not getting legitimate attention like other forms of music," he recalls. "I made a pledge to myself that if I ever had the chance, I would try to do something to help solve that problem. The Jazz Studies Program offers graduates a diverse range of activities, including careers and graduate studies in jazz performance, composition, arranging, research and teaching, as well as becoming great musicians." Burrell went on to say, "with 'Ellingtonia,' I would not only be teaching the students about jazz, but giving them an example of a role model who they could learn lessons from, even if they weren't in music."

Burrell's staff has included

Gerald Wilson

composer / conductor
1918 - 2014

" data-original-title="" title="">Gerald Wilson,

Garnett Jnr Brown

trombone
b.1936

" data-original-title="" title="">Garnett Jnr Brown, the late

Billy Higgins

drums
1936 - 2001

" data-original-title="" title="">Billy Higgins and

Harold Land

saxophone, tenor
1928 - 2001

" data-original-title="" title="">Harold Land,

Billy Childs

piano
b.1957

" data-original-title="" title="">Billy Childs,

Ruth Price

vocals
b.1938

" data-original-title="" title="">Ruth Price,

Barbara Morrison

vocals
1949 - 2022

" data-original-title="" title="">Barbara Morrison, and Dr. Bobby Rodriguez. Added to his list of jazz activities is his leadership of the philanthropic David L. Abell "Friends of Jazz," whose focus is saluting seasoned pianists with The Duke Ellington Award for Excellence, inviting them to UCLA for interviews and playing before members. Past honorees have been

Randy Weston

piano
1926 - 2018

" data-original-title="" title="">Randy Weston,

Cedar Walton

piano
1934 - 2013

" data-original-title="" title="">Cedar Walton,

Barry Harris

piano
1929 - 2021

" data-original-title="" title="">Barry Harris,

Hank Jones

piano
1918 - 2010

" data-original-title="" title="">Hank Jones,

Harold Mabern

piano
1936 - 2019

" data-original-title="" title="">Harold Mabern, and

George Cables

piano
b.1944

" data-original-title="" title="">George Cables.

Trumpeter Herb Alpert's Foundation contributed an enormous amount to the Ethnomusicology departments in 2007, establishing the Herb Alpert School of Music and underwriting all music endeavors at UCLA. Alpert became a music philanthropist when, in 1988, he connected with the Harlem School of Music, coming to its rescue in 2010 when it was about to close by donating $500,000 to keep the doors open. "I didn't want to make it [UCLA School of Music] a lopsided music school," Alpert explained. "It's full-serviced, classical, ethnic music and jazz—the works."

Closely associated with The Monk Institute for years, he was able to bring it to UCLA by providing graduate level studies. Herbie Hancock, Chairman of The Institute and longtime champion of Jazz Studies at UCLA stated, "the Monk Institute 's program will provide students access to UCLA's unusually wide and varied curriculum—from courses in music business and technology to film scoring and global musical traditions—it represents the future of Jazz. Jazz has always functioned as a strong bridge between people of different cultures and different ethnicities." In addition to Hancock, The Institute will include lecturers

Wayne Shorter

saxophone
1933 - 2023

" data-original-title="" title="">Wayne Shorter,

T.S. Monk

drums
b.1949

" data-original-title="" title="">T.S. Monk, and

James Newton

flute
b.1953

" data-original-title="" title="">James Newton.

Newton reiterates that UCLA's jazz program both benefit from its new association with an institute named for the father of modern jazz piano and adds, "There's a responsibility that comes with the name Thelonious Monk. He's one of the highest models I can think of for students as they move through the process of discovering themselves and learning about the nobility of the music."

"I think jazz is the perfect art form, explains Alpert. "It's speaking for people all over the world—look at what's happening in the Middle East, people looking for freedom and self-expression—that's what jazz is all about."

Burrell concurs, "Jazz is a serious, world-respected art form, one of the major gifts from the United States to the world, and it should have all the serious attention that other forms of music have and I'm certainly glad to be a part of all that jazz."

It was Edward Duke Ellington who had the very first college jazz concert at UCLA in 1936, and it was Kenny Burrell who brought jazz studies to UCLA with his creation of "Ellingtonia," taking the university into the forefront of jazz education in this new millennium.

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