Jay Saunders

Jay Saunders is a trumpeter and educator. He is currently on the [http://www.jazz.unt.edu/ Jazz Studies] faculty at the University of North Texas [http://www.music.unt.edu/ College of Music] , where he teaches jazz trumpet, jazz recordings, and directs the Two O'Clock Lab Band.

Originally from Sacramento, California, Saunders attended the University of North Texas (then NTSU) where he studied trumpet with John Haynie and was a member of the world renowned One O'Clock Lab Band. He was later a trumpet teaching assistant while getting his master's degree in trumpet performance. He has played lead trumpet and toured with the Stan Kenton Orchestra and the Studio Band of the U.S. Army Field Band in Washington, D.C. Saunders played off and on with the Kenton band for many years and taught at Kenton clinics. He recorded eleven albums with Kenton and one album each with Ornette Coleman and Doc Severinsen as well as many religious, Latino and rock artists.

As a member of the Jerry Grey Orchestra at the Fairmont Hotel's Venetian Room, Saunders backed such noted artists as Sarah Vaughn, Billy Eckstine, Tony Bennett, and Ella Fitzgerald as well as hundreds of other well-established performers. He has been an educator/performer in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since the 1980s, performing with the Fort Worth and Dallas Symphony Orchestras as part of their Pops Series, playing first trumpet for the Dallas Summer Musicals, as well as a variety of recordings and shows in the area.

Saunders has been heard playing lead trumpet on broadcasts for the BBC, VOA, WABCdn, KABCdn, WNBC, WCBSdn, and for the CNN/SI, CNN, HBO, ESPN radio, Warner Bros. and Paramount TV themes, in addition to many other broadcasters in the United States. As an educator, Saunders has taught at Richland College, Tarrant County Community College, Texas Wesleyan University, Collin County Community College, and the University of North Texas.

He also plays with Pete Petersen and The Collection Jazz Orchestra. "He has a reputation as being one of the best," said Petersen of Saunders. Petersen told the "Fort Worth Star-Telegram" that he had needed a trumpet player for the recording of "Playing in the Park" in the mid-'80s. Saunders continues to play with them. [ Miller, Brandon A. "Pilot's jazz sideline takes off," "Fort Worth Star-Telegram", July 23, 2001.] The band went on to record two other albums. [ [http://www.allmusic.com allmusic ] ]

elect Discography

with Stan Kenton or Stan Kenton & His Orchestra
"Live at Brigham Young University(1972)", 1972
"Live at Butler University(1972)", 1972
"Stan Kenton Today", 1972
"National Anthems of the World", 1972
"7.5 on the Richter Scale", 1973
"Street of Dreams", 1991
"Live at Newport Jazz Festival", 1999

with Pete Petersen & The Collection Jazz Orchestra
"Playin' in the Park", 1989
"Straight Ahead", 1990
"Night & Day", 1996

with Doc Severinsen
"Night Journey", 1976

References

External links

* [http://www.jazz.unt.edu/?q=node/112 Jay Saunders' page on the North Texas Jazz website]
* [http://www.music.unt.edu/bio/saunders.shtml Jay Saunders' page on the North Texas College of Music website]
* [http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/music/artist/appears/0,,489509,00.html recordings that Jay Saunders is on]