York U Big Winner in 1999 Jazz Report National Awards

TORONTO, May 7, 1999 -- York University's Department of Music walked away with the award for best Post-Secondary School Jazz Program of the Year at the 1999 Jazz Report National Awards presented in Toronto on May 6. York University faculty, students and alumni won in 11 of the magazine's 40 award categories.

Drummer Joe Poole, a third-year student at York won the Best Jazz Student award. This 22 year-old British Columbian selected York University's jazz program after browsing through its music handbook. "I was a big fan of Barry Elmes and the group Time Warp. I noticed these legendary names in the handbook and thought, 'man, this is the place to be.' "

The Barry Elmes Quintet took the 1999 award for Acoustic Group of the Year. Other York U faculty winners were Don Thompson (vibes and original composition), Terry Promane (trombone) and Mark Eisenman (acoustic piano).

York music alumni were winners in several categories. Singers, Suba Sankaran and Dylan Bell are members of Hampton Avenue, awarded Best Vocal Group and two former students Jane Bunnett and Del Dako, won soprano and baritone saxophone respectively. NOJO, led by York alumni Paul Neufeld and Michael Occhipinti, took the Big Band award.

York University's jazz studies program, now in its 27th year, was the first of its kind in Canada. The winner of the inaugural Post-Secondary School Jazz Program of the Year award in 1995, its reputation continues to grow as it collects awards and national praise. Some of Canada's most influential jazz artists, including Phil Dwyer, Mike Murley, Lorne Lofsky, and Mike Malone are instructors in the program. Full-time faculty include John Gittins, David Mott and Bob Witmer along with distinguished adjunct professor, Oscar Peterson.

York's program focuses on small ensemble work. Groups like the York Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Choir offer the students the chance to publicly perform in a large ensemble. The semi-annual Jazz Bash is a long-standing York University tradition. The Department of Music at York is renowned as an innovative leader in music studies.

The annual Jazz Report awards recognize Canada's best in jazz performance, composition, recording and education. This is the seventh year of the awards. The winners are selected by a committee of over 50 musicians, journalists, radio hosts, record company personnel and educators from across Canada. The Jazz Report is a leading jazz magazine in Canada with an international readership.

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For further information, please contact:

Carol Bishop
Communications, Faculty of Fine Arts
York University
(416) 736-2100 ext. 20421
email: cbishop@yorku.ca