This article was first published on All About Jazz in February 1999.

The 26th Annual Conference of the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) was held January 6-10, 1999 at the Disneyland Resort Hotel and Convention Center in Anaheim, California, and if there was one meaningful lesson to be learned by these Jazz mentors about the choice of venue, it is that bigger ain't necessarily better.

But more about that later. We should first report that the Conference overflowed with the usual benchmarks: honors were bestowed, performances given, clinics and workshops conducted, panel discussions held, knowledge imparted and received, friendships renewed and reinforced. In short, it was a memorable four days for a number of reasons, both anticipated and unforeseen.

But more about that later. First, some housekeeping duties. This year's recipients of the IAJE/National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Awards were Jazz legends Dave Brubeck, Art Farmer and Joe Henderson, each of whom received his $20,000 award Saturday evening from master of ceremonies Dr. Billy Taylor. Also on Saturday evening, the IAJE accepted from BET on Jazz the first installment ($100,000) in the media company's five-year, half-million-dollar commitment to the organization. At the Conference's grand opening session Thursday afternoon, composer Anthony Wilson was honored with the 1999 Gil Evans Commission for his composition, "Adult Themes" (played by Wilson's tentet) while the Benny Carter Commissions were presented to composers Oliver Lake for "Dedicated to B.C." and Sonia Jacobsen for "From First to Fifth" (both performed by the Kim Richmond Concert Jazz Orchestra). Among the performers Saturday evening were the winners of the Clifford Brown/Stan Getz Fellowships:

Michael Seropyan, saxophone; Samuel Bar-sheshet and Joseph Rybczyk Jr., piano; Julian Rosse, bass, and Kendrick Scott, drums. Jazz musician/educators Robert Curnow and Bunky Green, both past-presidents of IAJE, were elected to the Jazz Education Hall of Fame, while Robert L. Johnson, founder and CEO of Black Entertainment Television (BET) and Ron Logan, executive vice-president and executive producer of Walt Disney Productions, shared the IAJE President's Award and LaRue Brown-Watson, a producer and creator of award-winning Jazz education programs and founder/president of the Clifford Brown Jazz Foundation, was presented the 1999 Humanitarian Award.

We won't attempt to list all the performers and clinicians but there were as always a number of well-known names among them including Wynton Marsalis, Arturo Sandoval, Billy Taylor, Dave Liebman, Bill Watrous, Milt Jackson, Russell Malone, Bob Belden, Kenny Drew Jr., Louie Bellson, Kenny Burrell, Bobby Shew, Terence Blanchard, Lalo Schifrin, the Four Freshmen, Bob Florence, Marlena Shaw, Bob Mintzer, Kenny Werner, Carl Allen, Herbie Hancock, Clare Fischer, Nelson Rangell, Terry Gibbs, Buddy DeFranco and Gerald Wilson.

Now, about that venue. Clinics, workshops, panel discussions and other presentations were held at five locations, with performances confined for the most part to three of them the Convention Center, Embassy Building and Pacific Hotel. Although the weather was mild, the Embassy was a good five-minute walk, the Pacific Hotel more like a seven-to 10-minute sprint from the Convention Center, making it extremely difficult for one to see and hear everything he or she had planned. While scheduling wasn't as problematic as in years past, the long walks from session to session, even though good for one's health, were annoying and time-consuming, and careful plans had to be made to avoid them, even to the point of passing up sought-after sessions in favor of those with a lower priority. Even so, we were able to see and hear much of what we came for (read: big bands), and the Conference, as usual, was in no way wanting for musical stimulation or excitement.

The daily activities did unfold at a slower than usual pace, however, with no big bands or other groups performing at 9 a.m., as in the past. The Conference actually got under way Wednesday afternoon, while we were en route from North Carolina, with the 1999 Leadership Conference presided over by keynote speaker Marsalis, who later that afternoon presented a clinic, Conducting Ellington (at which, we were told, he was typically candid and outspoken). Good as they were, conguero Pancho Sanchez's octet was a curious choice to open Wednesday evening's concert in the Terrazzo Ballroom, as its cavernous dimensions dampened and all but swallowed the normally fiery Latin-centered sounds. Poncho and his mates would be far better served in an intimate supper-club setting. Sanchez was followed onstage by the Walt Disney Entertainment All-Star Back-Up Band, a group of 18 topnotch West Coast studio musicians who were limited for the most part to supporting a number of guests singers Maureen McGovern and Kevin Mahogany, trumpeter Sandoval (a recently-sworn U.S. citizen) and pianist Jackson Green, a top executive with Walt Disney Entertainment (wonder how he landed that gig?). Actually, Green played well, but no more so than could a large number of part-time pianists, many of whom were probably seated in the audience. Much as I admire McGovern, Mahogany and Sandoval, I'd have preferred to hear the band, which did play an introductory number ("Poor Unfortunate Souls," which may have been a subliminal nod toward their assignment) and two others at the end of the concert, the second of which was an encore. Among the surprisingly astute soloists were alto saxophonist Eric Marienthal and guitarist Grant Geissman.

Thursday morning, as everyone anticipated the opening at 6 that evening of the mammoth exhibit hall, with its many booths and displays covering almost every aspect of the music business, our day began with a visit to saxophonist Ann Patterson's clinic, "Music America," at which she and her rhythm section (Tom Adams, piano; Karl Vincent, bass; Raymond Pounds, drums) introduced Jazz and its history to an audience composed mostly of elementary and middle school students. Ann has been doing this in various schools for some time now, and she's quite good at it. For this non-musician, it was as educational as it was pleasurable. The Arizona State University Jazz Ensemble (with guest saxophonist Chris Vadala) was next on the agenda, followed at 1 o'clock by the Fullerton College Jazz Band with its special guest, saxophonist Brandon Fields. ASU was in top form on Bill Holman's arrangement of Monk's "Ruby My Dear" and Bob Brookmeyer's "First Love Song," Vadala likewise on Mike Crotty's treatment of "In a Sentimental Mood." Coincidentally, Fields played the same chart, as well as Tom Kubis' "Bop Brothers' Latin Vacation" (with alto Tim Ishii) and Dave Weckl's "Festival de Ritmo," while the ensemble sparkled on "L.A. Groove," by former director Jim Linahon, and Bob Curnow's captivating Celtic tune, "Towednack" (also played by the ASU ensemble). We broke for lunch during the Grand Opening session, then it was on to the Embassy West Ballroom to hear the splendid ensemble from Cal State-Los Angeles (among whose highlights were Rob McConnell's torrid arrangement of "Just Friends," Bob Mintzer's "Incredible Journey," a salsa-style version of "'Round Midnight," and the breezy "Castle Creek Shuffle"). We sat in for a while on an excellent session by trumpeter Cecil Bridgewater's quintet (whose pianist, Billy Childs, and drummer, Carl Allen, were enormously impressive) before securing an early place in line for the exhibit hall opening, which this year included a ribbon-cutting ceremony and Dixieland band.

The evening program opened with trombonist Bill Watrous leading his all-star ensemble through a number of colorful charts including several from his recent CD release, Space Available. Watrous was superb on the ballad "My Foolish Heart," while the band dug in hard on two faster-paced Gordon Goodwin charts, "Mama Lama Samba" and "I Got D'ZZZZZs." Among the band's topnotch soloists are trumpeters Bob Summers and Steve Huffsteter, saxophonists Sal Lozano and Bill Liston, pianist Shelly Berg and bassist Trey Henry. Under ordinary circumstances the Watrous ensemble would be a tough act to follow, but the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra's appearance that evening was anything but ordinary, thanks in large measure to its special guest, vibraphonist Milt Jackson, who proved to any doubters that Jazz doesn't have to scream to be heard and appreciated. Although his mellow vibraphone rarely rose above a whisper within the vast reaches of the Terrazzo Ballroom, he held the audience spellbound by virtue of his awe-inspiring artistry and imagination. As the lights were out I wasn't able to compose a written record of everything he played, but the songs did include Monk's "Evidence," the ballads "The Nearness of You" and "Nature Boy" (the last with a lovely introduction by John Clayton's arco bass) and of course, "Bags' Groove." A marvelous way to end the evening.

That brings us to Friday, which began for us with a performance by the splendid ensemble from Cal State University-Hayward under director Dave Eshelman. We caught the last four numbers "To Z from A" and "Changeology" (based on "I Got Rhythm"), both by the band's pianist, Ayn Inserto; Chick Corea's "Mirror, Mirror" and Eshelman's "Samba de San Jose." The topnotch soloists included Inserto; trumpeter Mike Olmos; flutist Amelia Timbang, and saxophonists Jeff Prinz, David Wells and Jeff Chang. More Latin-oriented music followed, courtesy of the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts Jazz Ensemble and its effervescent director, Bobby Rodriguez, who kept the audience involved as the band, which recently won a first-place award at the Monterey Jazz Festival, showed why on a series of sizzling numbers that included "C-Jam Blues" and "Florindo." At high noon we moved next door to the Grand Ballroom to hear and appreciate the University of Colorado Jazz Ensemble under its new director, Michael Pag��n, which opened with Bill Holman's "Frontrunner" and carved up two more tunes before welcoming its guests, trombonist Robin Eubanks ("Minor's Holiday," "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most") and tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson ("Holiday," Tom Kubis's "Purple Porpoise Parkway"). Eubanks, just back from an overseas tour, hadn't gotten much sleep, we were told. If that's how he plays when fatigued, I'd love to hear him when he's well-rested!

By now it was early afternoon, and time for another of the Conference's undisputed highlights an appearance by the U.S. Army Jazz Ambassadors who opened with the theme from "Exodus" (marvelously scored by saxophonist Gene Thorne) and closed with "Chain Reaction" from their newest CD, The Legacy of Hank Levy (with an appreciative Levy serving as guest conductor). Other memorable moments included Luis Bonfa's theme from "Black Orpheus" (featuring Pat Dillon's piccolo), Darryl Brenzel's "Ubiquitous," and two charts by chief arranger Vince Norman, "Voo Zsa Day" and "Roun' Fat Night" (based on Monk's "'Round Midnight"). Under director Freddie Vinson's guidance, the Ambassadors have emerged as one of the country's foremost service ensembles, up there with the Airmen of Note, Army Blues and Navy Commodores, among others. I've never heard them play better, and the audience gave them a well-deserved standing ovation.

With the two o'clock hour set aside each afternoon for visiting the exhibit hall, we waited until 3 for the next high spot, which arrived in the form of even more Latin music presented by an ensemble from Tokyo, the exuberant Big Band of Rogues under its fun-loving director, Hidenobue Iba, with a scheduled guest appearance by the great trumpeter Bobby Shew and an unscheduled one by the Four Freshmen who sang the Nat Cole hit, "Unforgettable." The band was smokin' from the outset on a program that included "Mambo Caliente," Kenton's "The Peanut Vendor" and a Latinized version of "Autumn Leaves." As for Shew, he was superb on an up-tempo samba, two excellent charts "Baile Indio" and "Tristesse"by Raul Romero (who was in the audience), and Bob Washut's "Mambo Galante," which he played with trumpeter Sal Gracchiola from the Poncho Sanchez band, who was subbing in the Rogues' trumpet section. To see the Big Band of Rogues, we had to pass on the KMH Jazz Orchestra from Stockholm, Sweden. That disappointment soon faded beneath the bone-jarring power and remarkable precision of the Rodger Fox Big Band, New Zealand's finest, making its second IAJE appearance (the first, in 1997, was in Chicago). Fox, an outstanding trombonist, had the band in top form on such dazzling charts as "Back to Being One," "Running in the Human Race," Bill Cunliffe's "Nypia," fellow New Zealander Alan Broadbent's "Bebop and Roses" (written for the Woody Herman band) and his own composition, "Something Juicy" (on which he was joined by bass trombonist Bill Reichenbach). Another page to press in one's scrapbook of enduring memories.

Coming back down to earth, we stopped for a while to hear the Arizona State University faculty nonet, which opened with "Moondreams" and "Israel" from the Birth of the Cool sessions before launching into an extended work, the "Cryogenic Suite" (during which we tiptoed out before our ears froze). At six o'clock, yet another superlative performance, this one by the San Diego State University Ensemble under director Bill Yeager. The program included John Clayton's "Soupbone," Maria Schneider's "Gumba Blue," John Coltrane's "Naima," Wayne Shorter's "Yes and No," Gene Aitken's "Fuego Azul," Vince Mendoza's "Orange Guitars," "Doodle Oodle" and the standard "You Don't Know What Love Is" (with Yeager on trombone and faculty member Rick Helzer on piano). At seven, we hurried over to the Pacific Hotel to catch a couple of numbers by pianist Junko Onishi, as a friend, Sherman Ferguson, was playing drums (and doing so as marvelously as ever, we might add, using sticks, brushes, elbows, forearms and fingertips). We couldn't stay long, as the evening concert was next in the Terrazzo Ballroom, and we had to secure a good seat to hear the Bob Florence Limited Edition, in whose ranks are some of the finest players in southern California. The Brown/Getz Fellowship winners warmed the audience with a couple of tunes before Florence's band took center stage, opening with the title selection from its newest CD, "Serendipity 18" (featuring Kim Richmond on alto, Bob McChesney on trombone and drummer Dick Weller). Florence shared the spotlight on Johnny Mandel's "Emily" with trumpeters Steve Huffsteter and Carl Saunders, while Saunders was featured all the way (on trumpet and flugel) on "Now Playing," also taken from the new CD, as was the closing suite, "Three E-Motions," or Jazz variations in the key of E. Judging from audience reaction, sales of the disc should be brisk. After half an hour or so at the Black Music Caucus, with entertainment by Jimmy Coe's all-star ensemble, we called it a night and returned to the motel.

We'd missed the first instrumental new music reading session on Thursday, so made it a point not to forgo the second at 10 o'clock Saturday morning. It's always a kick to hear a band of topnotch Jazz musicians sight-read new charts; they do it incredibly well, and as I remarked afterward to director Lou Fischer, "The best part for me is that I can't tell when they've made a mistake! And I wasn't kidding. The Citrus College Jazz Ensemble, scheduled to perform at 11 o'clock, had to cancel, so we quickly adjusted the menu and galloped to the Embassy Ballroom to hear the Garfield High School band from Seattle, Washington. What a pleasant surprise that was! This group of ninth-to twelfth-graders, poised and confident under director Clarence Acox, breezed through a number of demanding charts including Rob McConnell's "The Waltz You Blew for Me," Oscar Pettiford's "Tricotism," "How Sweet It Is" (featuring trumpeter Jason Chambliss), "The Very Thought of You" (featuring Ann Drummond , who doubles on trombone, on flute) and another well-known McConnell chart, the standard "Just Friends." As the last notes faded away, the band was given a well-earned standing ovation.

The Pacific Hotel was our next stop for a noontime appearance by the Cal State University-Long Beach Studio One Jazz Ensemble directed by Neil Finn. We couldn't stay for the entire program, but did manage to hear well-played versions of Bill Holman's "Quiet Riot," Hank Levy's "A Rock Odyssey," J.J. Johnson's "Lament" and an unnamed bop tune featuring guest alto Bruce Babbitt before sprinting back to the Marina West Ballroom for the week's crowning event, a much-anticipated appearance by Ann Patterson's all-female big band, Maiden Voyage. The band more than lived up to its advance notices, romping through a colorful and persuasive program of standards and originals that left the audience pleading for more (the band obliged with an encore, Bruce Eskovitz's arrangement of Bird's "Now's the Time"). The fast-paced opener, "Just Friends" (arranged by Tom Kubis), featured Patterson's alto and another of the ensemble's several noteworthy soloists, trumpeter Stacy Rowles. Rowles, alto Sheila Gonzales and pianist Linda Martinez shared the spotlight on Roger Neumann's "Takin' a Walk," while bassist Erin Wright and baritone Jennifer Hall were front and center on Monk's "I Mean You." The band also nailed Dick Cary's arrangement of Cedar Walton's "Bolivia," the ballads "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" (Patterson, alto) and "My Foolish Heart" (Rowles, flugelhorn), Miles Davis' "All Blues" and the uncontested crowd-pleaser, "I Enjoy Being a Girl," from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song.

That was a high from which we needed time to recover. Fortunately, the two o'clock hour was open, as usual, so we were able to bask for awhile in the glow of Maiden Voyage's performance as we awaited the appearance of the trombone group Slidewerke (which was canceled). So we caught instead a glimpse of organist Hank Marr's trio (including a rumbling organ duel with James Polk on Strayhorn's "A Train"), then headed back to the Marina West Ballroom to hear the IAJE Community College All-Star Big Band which welcomed another remarkable guest soloist, trumpeter Marvin Stamm (whose talent far surpasses his reputation). The all-stars were blazing on "Nuttville," "Temple Street," "Skylark" and Thad Jones' "Little Pixie," Stamm even more so on "Samba de los Gatos," "Lover Man" and "Caravan." Another wonderful concert, from which we headed to the Pacific Hotel to hear the Sisters in Jazz sextet and "headed," as you'll soon see, is an appropriate way in which to describe what would soon take place.

We mentioned earlier that the conference was memorable for a number of reasons, some of them unforeseen. One was that cabin pressure on the airline flight to L.A. (I was traveling at the tail-end of a severe head cold) closed the ears, which didn't open fully until Friday afternoon, making it somewhat difficult to hear the Wednesday evening and Thursday sessions (and almost impossible to carry on a normal conversation). I'd also tripped while running across the street to catch a tram to the hotel on Wednesday evening, skinning my left hand and knee. But these slight mishaps were no more than a prelude. The curtain had risen, and the real fun was about to begin.

The Sisters in Jazz, it turns out, were quite well-received. In fact, the Pacific Hotel's Crystal Room, where they were performing, was jam-packed, with many people standing against the rear wall and many others seated on the floor. I had decided to sneak away early to see a friend, saxophonist Mike Tomaro, who was to play later at the nearby Pacific Ballroom with Catch 22, a four-member guitar group from Duquesne University. There must have been a hundred pairs of feet in my path as I advanced slowly toward the exit, and I managed to ease past 99 before stumbling over the last one. I'd have been fine except that the recording equipment was set up next to the rear door, which is precisely the area toward which my free-falling body was aimed. My head ricocheted off a corner of the apparatus, stunning me momentarily and opening an inch-long gash on my forehead. I was more embarrassed than hurt, but several people gathered around, trying to comfort the "elderly gentleman" (as I was sure they thought), and I was led outside to a seat by a tenderhearted volunteer, Edmonia Jarrett, who wrapped some ice in a towel and applied it to the wound. She wanted me to sit for a while, but I thanked her warmly, said I had places to go and things to do, slapped a band-aid over the cut ("It's no big deal; I bumped my head") and went to see Mike and Catch 22. January has almost flown as I write this, and it's about time to change that band-aid again.

Well, that was an interesting turn of events. But the Conference wasn't yet over. After a few moments with Catch 22 it was off to the Embassy West Ballroom to hear Synthesis, Brigham Young University's premier Jazz ensemble, with guest saxophonist Bob Mintzer (and trumpeter Mike Vax, who sat in on the finale, a spirited rendition of "Limehouse Blues"). The ensemble was letter-perfect on, among other numbers, Lyle Durland's "Time Flies," Maria Schneider's "Green Piece" and Bob Curnow's "Towednack" (the third time we'd heard it played at the Conference; coming soon to a CD near you?). I then debated sitting through the long evening program with its Jazz Master awards ceremony, "Jazz in Film" with trumpeter Terence Blanchard's quintet and guest Donald Harrison, the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance Ensemble featuring Herbie Hancock, and the Gerald Wilson Orchestra (a personal favorite), but the head was throbbing and I decided to lie down instead.

So that's how the 26th IAJE Conference ended for me, not with a shout chorus but with a snooze. On Sunday, it was back on the plane for the return trip to North Carolina, further cabin pressure, and a right ear that resisted all efforts to open it for five days. This was, I believe, my sixth IAJE event the second in Anaheim and while the last two (including New York City in '98) have been mildly disappointing (this one was less musically diverse and rewarding than the Anaheim conference several years ago), I'm already looking forward to New Orleans in January 2000. Big-band Jazz, a wonderful way to start the new millennium (which is not only true, but makes a pretty good slogan as well). See you there, big-band lovers! You'll not find it hard to recognize me; I'm the one with the scar.

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