DePaul and Stripling Also Will Host A Public Jazz Clinic on Feb. 13

Trumpeter and vocalist Byron Stripling will perform with the DePaul Jazz Ensemble at the annual "Jazz is For Lovers" concert sponsored by DePaul's School of Music on Valentine's Day. The concert begins at 8 p.m. on February 14 at DePaul's Merle Reskin Theatre, 60 E. Balbo Dr.

Stripling also will host a free, public jazz clinic about careers in the music business at DePaul's School of Music, 804 W. Belden Ave, on Feb. 13 from 6 to 7 p.m.

Hailed by the New York Times as a "a powerful trumpeter, at ease with the most complicated and detailed bebop lines," Stripling has earned national acclaim for his trumpet-playing, vocals and acting ability.

"Byron Stripling is a very charismatic jazz artist and the ensemble looks forward to performing with him," said Bob Lark, director of the ensemble. "His experiences are inspiring for the young musicians in the ensemble and for those who attend his jazz clinics."

Lark, a trumpeter himself who recently released the CD "First Steps" on the Chicago-based Corridor label, is coordinator of Jazz Studies at DePaul. The ensemble consists of 18 undergraduate and graduate students chosen from the highly-regarded program. The annual "Jazz is For Lovers" concert has brought the ensemble together with a variety well-known jazz artists, with whom they've recorded several compact discs. Past "Jazz is for Lovers" guest performers include James Moody, Nancy Wilson, Clark Terry and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.

Stripling has performed as the lead trumpeter and soloist with the Count Basie Orchestra under the direction of Thad Jones and Frank Foster. He also has played and recorded with the bands of Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman, The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, The Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, GRP All-Star Band, Lionel Hampton, Clark Terry, The American Jazz Orchestra and Buck Clayton.

Stripling's multiple talents were evident when he was chosen to play Louis Armstrong in the touring musical "Satchmo: America's Musical Legend" and in his acting role in the television movie, "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. His trumpet also can be heard on numerous television commercials, movies and soundtracks.

Main floor and mezzanine tickets for the "Jazz is for Lovers" concert are $20 and balcony seats are $15. Discounts are available for senior citizens, students, DePaul theatre and music school subscribers and DePaul employees and alumni. Group rates are also available. For tickets, call (312) 922-1999.

Background on the DePaul Jazz Ensemble

The DePaul Jazz Ensemble consists of 18 talented graduate and undergraduate students chosen from DePaul University's School of Music jazz program. The ensemble performs publicly throughout the academic year at jazz clinics and in concert. Each February, the ensemble hosts a "Jazz is For Lovers" concert featuring prominent jazz performers at DePaul's Merle Reskin Theatre. Past "Jazz is for Lovers" guests have included James Moody, Nancy Wilson, Clark Terry and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.

Last January, the ensemble was chosen in a national competition to share the stage with trumpeter Clark Terry and Grammy award winning saxophonist Branford Marsalis at a public concert presented in conjunction with the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJA) 24th Annual Conference in Chicago.

The band has recorded three compact discs with Reference Recordings: "Ebony Concerto," featuring Chicago Symphony Orchestra clarinetist and DePaul faculty member John Bruce Yeh and the DePaul Jazz and Wind Ensembles; "Big Band Basie," a retrospective of the music of the Count Basie band with trumpeter Clark Terry and saxophonist Frank Wess; and "Clark Terry Express" with Terry.

The ensemble and other DePaul student jazz groups participate in an annual recording project during the spring term at Steeterville Studios in Chicago. These recordings have received Outstanding Performance Awards from Downbeat magazine for the Jazz Ensemble (1992), Jazz Combo I (1994) and for student jazz arrangements (Thomas Matta in 1994 and Scott Hall in 1993). Music recorded from the 1995 and 1996 sessions was issued in 1997 as a CD called "Something to Live For."

Bob Lark Biography

Bob Lark is director of the DePaul Jazz Ensemble. He joined DePaul University in 1990 and is coordinator of jazz studies at the university's School of Music. Lark teaches jazz trumpet, jazz improvisation and jazz pedagogy. He is active as a soloist, clinician, guest conductor and music reviewer.

Lark plays both jazz and classical trumpet and has appeared with ensembles throughout the United States, Canada and Australia. In January of 1998, his CD, "First Steps," was released by Corridor, a Chicago-based jazz recording company launched by DePaul jazz studies alumnus Scott Hall. Lark has performed in concert with many prominent musicians, including Bob Mintzer, Randy Brecker and Clark Terry. Under his leadership, the DePaul Jazz Ensemble has earned a reputation as one of the nation's top collegiate big bands.