Jazzing it up: UCO’s Jazz Lab Highlight

For nearly 23 years, The UCO Jazz Lab has stood the test of time and remained an important piece of UCO’s history which will continue on September 24, with the Jazz I and III Ensemble’s concert at the Edmond Jazz Festival.

From the 1960’s UCO’s Jazz Studies program had already been making moves that would push themselves into the spotlight. “When the first jazz bands rehearsed here it would have been in 1962 so we have a tradition that goes very far back,” said Brian W. Gorrell, the Director of the Jazz Studies program.

UCO would get its first jazz band all the way back in the 60’s after being established by a man named Wayne Nichols. About a decade afterwards, Kent Kidwell would then establish an accredited jazz program that would be set on the track to become the program that we know today.

The UCO Jazz Lab has three primary functions: education, a gathering place for those seeking entertainment and community, a studio where students can learn to write and record their own music at a professional level, and a professional and commercial recording studio.

In 1997, after William Roger Webb became the President of the university, he partnered with The Edmond Economic Development Authority (EEDA) in order to work on something grand for the students. What was originally planned as just a performance venue for the community, would then grow into something big enough to stand out against all the other institutions at the time.

Returning to the functions of the lab itself, it serves as a performance venue at least 3 nights a week but on occasion it can score around 5-6.

Of course any student can also come in and watch these shows for free! And if jazz isn’t your cup of tea, then that’s no issue as other genres of music have a place here as well. Bluegrass, rock and other bands tend to perform here so students are encouraged to come out and see as many as possible! If you want to check out the dates and times for performances and events yourself, just head on over to the “Events” tab on the UCO Jazz Lab page at www.ucojazzlab.com or www.ucojazzlab.com/events.

The UCO Jazz Lab has also won national awards. The UCO Jazz Ensemble I was named the top collegiate jazz ensemble in the nation in 2012 by DownBeat magazine.

Gorrell, the Director of the Jazz Studies program, was originally hired during the opening of the Jazz Lab in 2002 for his experience in running his own studio as well as his background in jazz. Gorrell would run the recording studio as a commercial business before pivoting into writing a master’s degree in jazz studies which he would spend three years putting together and getting approved for. The master’s degree has an option in music production, which will end with the final task of producing an album using the equipment provided in the studio and the knowledge taught throughout the course. The student will be able to graduate with a degree in one hand and their own album record in the other, allowing them to push forward in their career with the confidence gained from there. 

Students can utilize the venue for their own performances if they have formed a student activity group and contact the Jazz Lab director Clint Rohr at least 4-5 weeks in advance.

So if you’re looking for a nice place to enjoy some music, go on a date, or learn the skills to make a name for yourself, then the Jazz Lab is here for you. Go out and move to the beat of your own drum! 

For anymore information on the Jazz Studies program, you can contact Gorrell at (405)-974-5285 or by email at bgorrell@uco.edu For Jazz Lab information, you can contact Rohr at (405)-974-5328 or crohr@uco.edu