Texas Music Educators Association

Region XX
Presents

2023 All-Region
Jazz Ensembles

Alex Parker
Matthew Sawyer
Guest Conductors

Performing Arts Center

Waxahachie High School
November 18, 2023
 Region Jazz Ensemble 2
Matthew Sawyer, Director
Program to be selected from the following charts.

A Time for Love.……………..……….….………...Johnny Mandel & P.F. Webster/Hank Levy

Back to the Jungle……………….…………………………………………....……...Ken Harris

Easy Money…….……………...………………..…………….…….Benny Carter/Bob Curnow

Jelly Roll……………………………………..…………...………..Charles Mingus/Sy Johnson

So Easy………………………..…………...…..……….…...…..Tadd Dameron/Mark Lopeman

Symphony in Riffs……………………………......…..………...…..Benny Carter/David Berger

VIP’s Boogie……..………………..…………...…..………...…..Duke Ellington/David Berger

Region Jazz Ensemble 1

Alex Parker, Director
Program to be selected from the following charts.

Aim High…………………………..……………..………….…...……..…………...Fred Sturm

A-That’s Freedom……...…...Thad Jones/Dylan Canterbury, Rob DuBoff, and Jeffrey Sultanof

Big Swing Face……………………………………………………...…..…...……..….Bill Potts

Hora Decubitis…………….……..…………...…....….……..………………….Charles Mingus

Hub Cap……………………….…………………………………………..Dr. Bobby Rodriguez

My Lament……………………………………………………………………..Maria Schneider
 Region Jazz Ensemble 1
Alto Saxophone Bass Trombone
Joaquin Molina, Waxahachie HS Jackson Yoder, Ennis HS
Nathan Lamoreaux, Richardson HS Joshua Otero, Waxahachie HS

Tenor Saxophone Drums

Anderson Gillett, Richardson HS ***Aki Eppstein, Booker T. Washington HSPVA
Luke Duvel, Waxahachie HS ***Jeremy Griffin, DeSoto HS

Baritone Saxophone Piano

Caleb Urbina, Duncanville HS Eian Hayden, Waxahachie HS

Trumpet Bass Guitar

Austin Smith, Waxahachie HS Jonathan Peña, White HS
Osiel Hernandez, Duncanville HS
Isaac Pittenger, Booker T Washington HSPVA Jazz Guitar
Jake Williamson, Ennis HS Asher Holland, Booker T Washington HSPVA
Korbin Shull, Berkner HS
**2023 All State Jazz Band
Tenor Trombone
Noah Johnson, Duncanville HS
Dylan Sims, Duncanville HS
Edwin Garcia, Irving HS

Region Jazz Ensemble 2

Alto Saxophone Bass Trombone
Jayden Yarbrough, Waxahachie HS Graham Rhoades, Richardson HS
Anna Capps, Richardson HS Robert McElya, Richardson HS

Tenor Saxophone Drums

Evan Ahlemeier, Richardson HS Jaden Rahman, Waxahachie HS
Christian Ramos, Obama Male Leadership Academy Noah Lopez, Berkner HS

Baritone Saxophone Bass Guitar

Rory Page, Richardson HS Darius Adams, Obama Male Leadership Academy

Trumpet Piano
Ethan Holmberg, Waxahachie HS Jared Vera, Irving HS
Ellen Watson, Richardson HS
Ben Boynton, Waxahachie HS Jazz Guitar
Owen Bush, Waxahachie HS Ava-Joan Osuagwu, Richardson HS
Christian Anderson, Richardson HS

Tenor Trombone
Isrrael Castaneda, Waxahachie HS
Kamron Mitchell, Waxahachie HS
Marcus Shelton, Obama Male Leadership Academy
 Alex Parker is the Director of The Wayne
Fisher Jazz Program at Baylor University.
He directs the Baylor Jazz Ensembles and
teaches many jazz disciplines.
Mr. Parker holds the MM from the Univer-
sity of Miami and a BM from the Eastman
School of Music.
His background is in jazz writing, perfor-
mance and pedagogy, as well as trumpet
performance and instrumental teaching.
Before coming to Baylor, Mr. Parker taught
for five years in the public schools.
He is a founding director of the Texas Jazz
Educators Association (TJEA), the Executive
Officer of TJEA, and the editor of the Texas
All-State Jazz Etudes. As a writer and arranger Parker has written for the Harrisburg Sympho-
ny, the US Air Force Band in Washington, DC, and collegiate ensembles.
He has performed clinics, adjudicated and directed jazz ensembles all over the country
and Costa Rica, and continues to perform as a free-lance musician. Mr. Parker also serves as
the Director of Baylor Summer Music Camps and won the Outstanding Professor Award for
Teaching in 2010.
 Originally from Paris, TX, saxophonist
and woodwinds player Matt Sawyer is Jazz
Director and Associate Band Director at Pas-
chal High School in Fort Worth, TX. His duties
include directing the Symphonic Band and
Jazz Ensemble I, as well as assisting with all
aspects of the Paschal Band program and the
middle school feeders.

Under his direction since 2016, Jazz

Ensemble I has been recognized nationally 4
times: the 10th Annual Jazz Education Net-
work (JEN) conference in Reno, NV and this
year’s 13th Annual JEN conference in Dallas,
TX; as a Finalist for the 2020 Perform With
Mintzer Competition; and as a Commended
Winner for the 2018 Mark of Excellence Na-
tional Jazz Honors Project.

Mr. Sawyer played alto and tenor saxophone in the world-renowned University of
North Texas (UNT) One O'clock Lab Band under the direction of Neil Slater for 4 years. He
appeared with the band on 4 studio albums (Lab 2004-2007) and two live albums (Live
From Thailand and Live At Blues Alley).

He was also a 2-time Finalist in the North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) Jazz
Competition, and his group The Matt Sawyer Orchestra was selected to perform at the
North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands. His arrangement for his group of John
Coltrane's Dear Lord was Downbeat Winner of Best Arrangement the same year. He also
performed as a both a classical and jazz saxophonist and soloist at the NASA Biennial Con-
ferences in Lubbock, TX, and Champaign, IL with the TWU/Brookhaven Saxophone Ensem-
ble.

Matt Sawyer has performed with Jimmy Heath, Pete Christlieb, Benny Golson, Phil
Woods, Lou Marini, His Majesty The King of Thailand, Nick Payton, Rufus Reid, Lynn Sea-
ton, Ed Soph, Fred Hamilton, Wayne Bergeron, D/FW area big bands Rebel Alliance Jazz
Ensemble and Sundance Square Dance Band, Michael League and Chris McQueen of
Snarky Puppy, America's Got Talent finalist Cas Haley, and many others. He has performed
in groups as the opening act for Wayne Newton, Barbara Fairchild, Maroon 5, Dave Doug-
las, and Chick Corea, and has toured and performed as a musician and clinician all over
the US, Canada, Japan, Thailand, Poland, and the Netherlands.

Matt lives in Fort Worth with his wife Yukari and 2 sons Hayato and Kento, and their
2 cats Misia and Oscar.
 Special Thanks to….
David Burks @ DBP Audio—All State Recording Engineer
Reggie Cook—Sound and Lighting for Concert
Paula Tagalos—TMEA Region XX Band Chair
Waxahachie Band Boosters

Waxahachie Independent School District

Dr. Jerry Hollingsworth—Superintendent Of Schools
Jacob Perry—Interim WHS Principal

2023 Region Jazz Directors

Berkner HS Jason Schayot
Booker T. Washington HSPVA Terence Hobdy
Desoto HS Kenya Thomas
Duncanville HS Mark Teal
Ennis HS Josh Pearson
Irving HS Scott Anderson
Obama Male Leadership Academy Chris Young
Richardson HS David Schmuck
Waxahachie HS Rich Armstrong
White HS Carlos Rengifo

Special thanks to Alex Parker and Matt Sawyer for sharing their knowledge of jazz
with our students in Region XX. Thanks to the directors and private teachers who
participated in the audition process held at Waxahachie High School. I commend
every student who auditioned. I want to thank Reggie Cook, Justin Bell, Alex Des-
coteaux, and Griffin Green for their consistent support and assistance in every as-
pect of the all region jazz experience. Again, I want to express my thanks to the
WISD Administration, Faculty, and Staff as well as the parents and Waxahachie
community for their support of our Fine Arts programs.

Rich Armstrong
TMEA Region XX Jazz Coordinator