Photo credit Rebekah FountainThe University of Alabama at Birmingham Jazz Ensemble won the top award, Most Outstanding College Band, on Saturday, April 19, at the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame’s 12th annual Student Jazz Band Festival competition.
The UAB Jazz Ensemble’s lead alto saxophonist, Kameron Dickerson, won the top individual award, Most Outstanding College Soloist. Dickerson, of Birmingham, is finishing his third year at UAB. He is a graduate of the Alabama School of Fine Arts and is the grandson of bass player and jazz great Cleve Eaton.
The UAB Jazz Ensemble performed “Down By the Riverside” arranged by Oliver Nelson, “It’s All Right With Me” by Porter/Goodwin, “Sweet Georgia Brown” by Bernie/Pinkard/Casey/Taylor and “Bolivia” by Walton/Metzger.
“The band worked hard all semester and really performed well under pressure,” said UAB Department of Music Director of Jazz and Trumpet Steven Roberts, DMA.
The UAB Jazz Ensemble includes Dickerson and Isaac Di Napoli, alto sax; Michael Whitaker and Matthew Owens, tenor sax; Chris Allison, baritone sax; Chris Anderson, lead trombone, and Jared Bash, Patrick Rutledge and Yusuf Whitaker, trombone; Mason MacFarland, lead trumpet, with Alex Panion, Bill Walker, Nick Tyler and Eric Nelson, trumpets; and Micah Braxton, drums; Jacob Edwards, bass; Collin Zuckerman, guitar; Martin Castor, piano; and Lenora Goodman, vocalist.
The competition, held April 16, 17 and 19, showcased middle school, high school and collegiate jazz ensembles from across Alabama and beyond as they performed back to back in the historic Carver Theatre, according to the AJHOF website.