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. The Cassio Vianna Jazz Orchestra performed in the Professional Ensemble Concert category. The 50-minute set included pieces from the 2017 album Infância (meaning “childhood” in Portuguese) as well as a new piece composed especially for the conference. Performers included a face familiar to PLU Jazz followers – former Director of Jazz Studies, David Deacon-Joyner on piano. Other talented performers included Greg Yasinitsky from Washington State University (tenor sax), José Aponte from University of

alumnus Dr. Richard Weathermon ’50, the Richard and Helen Weathermon Joyful Noise Endowment for jazz studies created an annual two-day artist-in-residence program to bring a renowned jazz artist to campus to perform with the University Jazz Ensemble and a select local high school jazz band, to lead rehearsals and public master classes, and participate in other educational and performance activities. Last year, the University Jazz Ensemble featured tenor saxophonist, Jeff Coffin. This year, alto

native of Memphis, Tennessee, mentored by jazz piano great James Williams. He studied composition with Donald Freund and Jonathan Kramer, and ethnomusicology with David Evans. Dr. Deacon-Joyner came to western Washington from the University of North Texas in Denton, where he held the position of Associate Professor of Jazz Studies from 1986 to 2000. He received his Bachelor’s degree in composition and Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from the University of Memphis, and his master’s degree in composition from