Grammy-winning jazz artist hosts clinic at Texas State

Posted by Jayme Blaschke
University News Service
September 30, 2008

Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Bob Mintzer will present a free clinic Friday, Oct. 3 at Texas State University-San Marcos.

The clinic, sponsored by Texas State Jazz Studies, will run 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in room 216 in the Music Building on campus.  The clinic is free and open to the public.

In the jazz world Mintzer is a household name as a saxophonist, bass clarinetist, composer, arranger, leader of a Grammy winning big band, member of the Yellowjackets and educator.  His own big band has been nominated for four Grammy Awards and won a Grammy for best large jazz ensemble recording in 2001 with Homage to Count Basie on the DMP label.

Mintzer has 26 solo recordings with both big band and small jazz ensembles. He is an 18 year member of the Grammy Award-winning Yellowjackets and has recorded 12 CDs with that group. He has had a diverse career as a free lance musician in New York City, recording with such artists as Steve Winwood, James Taylor, Aretha Franklin and Queen. He’s toured with Buddy Rich, Thad Jones, Mel Lewis, Jaco Pastorius, Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri and worked with the New York Philharmonic and American Ballet Theatre. Mintzer has been on the faculty of Manhattan School of Music and currently holds the Bowen H. "Buzz" McCoy and Barbara M. McCoy Endowed Chair in Jazz Professor of Jazz Studies at the University of Southern California.  He performs 20 workshops at universities all over the globe annually.

For more information, contact Keith Winking at (512) 245-3020 or via email at kw09@txstate.edu.