DPUJE Perfomance Schedule

Thursday, October 23, 2008
through
Sunday, October 26, 2008
8:00PM & 10:00PM
 (4:00PM Sunday matinee)
Jazz Showcase - Chicago, IL
806 S. Plymouth Ct. (Dearborn Station)
featuring guest artist Phil Woods

Tuesday, November 18, 2008 - 8:00PM
DePaul Student Center - Chicago, IL
the corner of Belden & Sheffield Avenues
concert featuring the three DePaul Jazz Ensembles.

Monday, January 26, 2009
8:00PM & 10:00PM
Jazz Showcase - Chicago, IL
806 S. Plymouth Ct. (Dearborn Station)

Friday, January 30, 2009 - 7:00PM
Hickory Creek Middle School - Frankfort, IL

Saturday, February 21, 2009
Badger High School - Lake Geneva, WI
afternoon workshop presentation and
evening concert featuring Phil Woods

Monday, February 23, 2009 - 8:00PM
DePaul Student Center - Chicago, IL
corner of Belden & Sheffield Avenues
with guest artist Phil Woods

Tuesday, March 17, 2009 - 7:00PM
St. Charles East High School - St. Charles, IL
workshop presentation and evening concert

Saturday, April 25, 2009
Pine Mountain Festival - Michigan

Thursday, May 14 and
Friday, May 15, 2009
8:00PM & 10:00PM
Jazz Showcase - Chicago, IL
806 S. Plymouth Ct. (Dearborn Station)
featuring guest artists: Phil Woods, Jim McNeely
Steve Gilmore and Bill Goodwin

Thursday, May 28, 2009 - 8:00PM
DePaul Student Center - Chicago, IL
corner of Belden & Sheffield Avenues

Saturday, June 13, 2009
Civic Opera House - Chicago, IL
performance by the Jazz Ensemble for
the DePaul University Scholl of Music
commencement ceremony
Guest soloist TBA.
"It's one of the best big band programs in the nation producing first rate players.  Bob makes sure the students don't just play the parts. It isn't just playing ensemble (symphony orchestras do that!).  Improvisation is what it's all about. Bob's band spends equal time on harmonic knowledge and improvisation skills; it shows what a big band is about. The solo is the jazz specialty and Bob has some of the best soloists around."
     - Phil Woods

"As you can hear from this recording, Bob Lark has a fine band to be proud of, full of fine soloists playng wonderful arrangements. This live recording is a great example of how a jazz band should sound.
My compliments to Bob Lark and the DePaul University Jazz Ensemble."
    - Joe Lovano, commenting on the DePaul University Jazz Ensemble recording  Live At The Jazz Showcase (DPUJE004)

"Playing and working with the DePaul University Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Bob Lark was really a ball!  A fantastic program, a terrific band with many excellent soloists!"
    - Marvin Stamm

"The DePaul University Jazz Ensemble is one of the finest college bands today. I've played with this wonderful band many times. Director Bob Lark has assembled a well-balanced unit with excellent soloists in every section."
    - Louie Bellson

"The DePaul University Jazz Ensemble is a fantastic band, a marvelous band!'
    - Clark Terry

"Recently, I had the pleasure of performing with the DePaul University Jazz Ensemble, and one thing was wonderfully obvious right off the bat: this band swings...HARD!
They play it all, old or new, swing, rock or Latin, and they play it with a contemporary sound and mature energy."
     - Steve Houghton

"I've had the great pleasure of working with Bob Lark and his student in the DePaul University Jazz Studies program on a number of occasions over the last dozen years.  One of the many strengths of the DePaul program is the number and talent of the student arrangers, and they're well represented on this CD by Darrell Wyatt, Kavin Fort, Steve Thomas and Ian Torres."
     - Jim McNeely, commenting on the DePaul University Jazz Ensemble recording Woodlands, featuring guest alto saxophone soloist Phil Woods.

"The band has a real working ensemble sound, not at all accademic. It is not that they don't play with precision or sound well rehearsed;  on the contrary, they do all that and more."
     - Tim Ries

"One of the definitive Jazz Masters, trombonist/arranger/composer Slide Hampton, is a special guest on this stunning outing by the DePaul University big band, under the superlative talents of leader/trumpeter Professor Bob Lark (a Master in his own right!)."
     - Phil Woods, commenting on the DePaul University Jazz Ensemble recording The DePaul University Jazz Ensemble with guest artist Slide Hampton.

"I've been aware of the band since visiting the school and being treated to a very high level rendition of my own music."
     - Kenny Werner
DePaul University Jazz Ensemble

The Jazz Ensemble is one of thirteen student jazz groups
at DePaul University, performing several times throughout the academic year both on and off campus.
The band performs regurlarly at Chicago's premier jazz
club, Joe and Wayne Segal's Jazz Showcase.
Since Bob Lark's appointment as Director of  Jazz Studies  and director of the Jazz Ensemble, the band has appeared at the Midwest Clinic (2004, 1998, 1994), the International Association for Jazz Education Conference, the Duke Ellington International Conference, the National Association of Music Merchants Conference, the Jazz Party At Sea aboard the S.S. Norwegian Sun, twice aboard the Queen Elizabeth II ocean liner for their Annual Flooting Jazz Festival, and a concert tour of Italy.

An annual recording project by the Jazz Ensemble featuring student, faculty, and commissioned works occurs each spring.  These recordings have produced a number of awards from the Jazz Educator's Journal, Down Beat and JazzTimes magazines.  Swingchronicity (Jazzed Media) features  guest alto saxophone soloist Phil Woods with the DePaul Jazz Ensemble in live performances at Chicago's Jazz Showcase.
The DePaul Jazz Ensemble and Slide Hampton features performances by the band from a 2005 concert tour of Italy and  at Chicago's Jazz Showcase.
The Jazz Ensemble has recorded a number of CD's with legendary jazz artists, including Phil Woods, Clark Terry, Bob Brookmeyer, Jim McNeely, Tom Harrell, Louie Bellson, Frank Wess, Slide Hampton and Bobby Shew, as well as Chicago Symphony Orchestra members Charles Vernon and John Bruce Yeh.
DPUJE with Louie Bellson
DPUJE with Slide Hampton
Bob Lark conducts the DPUJE with Tom Harrell