Friday, November 14, 2025
7:30 PM
Rialto Center for the Arts
Union
Michael Conrad
with special guest
Bob Washut
Leap of Faith
Dick Oatts
arr. Bob Washut
Dick Oatts’ Leap of Faith, arranged for big band by Bob Washut, bursts to life with a high-energy swing that demands both precision and daring from the ensemble. Originally commissioned for a European radio band, the piece reflects Oatts’ lyrical voice as a saxophonist and composer—fluid, harmonically rich, and rhythmically unpredictable—brought to the big-band stage through Washut’s vibrant orchestration.
La Declaración Balfour
Bob Washut
Written for Warren Balfour’s Royal Garden Jazz Orchestra, La Declaración Balfour is built upon a propulsive songo groove that immediately sets the piece in motion. The composer purposely showcases the trumpet section as a driving force, while also highlighting soloists on bari-sax, trumpet 4, piano and drums.
Voyage
Kenny Barron
arr. Bob Washut
Kenny Barron’s Voyage, arranged for big band by Bob Washut, transforms one of Barron’s most beloved jazz standards into a sweeping ensemble journey. What begins as a lyrical, introspective tune unfolds into a vibrant conversation between brass, saxes, and rhythm section—graceful, swinging, and full of motion. Washut’s orchestration keeps the spirit of Barron’s piano writing alive while giving each section a chance to shine.
To hear its origins, listen to Barron’s original recording below!
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
Composed by Jerome Kern | Lyricist Otto Harbach
Originally written for the 1933 Broadway musical Roberta, this song has transcended its theatrical beginnings to become one of the most enduring ballads of the jazz and popular-music canon. Harbach’s memorable line “When your heart’s on fire… smoke gets in your eyes” roots the piece in the universal experience of love, disillusionment, and the poetic haze that follows when a flame burns out. Whether rendered softly in a quiet ensemble setting or sung as a full-voiced statement, this melody invites both intimacy and emotional breadth. For further listening: check out the original 1933 recording by Gertrude Niesen, or compare the transformative 1958 hit version by The Platters—a testament to the song’s power across generations.
Fairy Tale
Bob Washut
Commissioned by the Des Moines Big Band, Fairy Tale is a contemporary jazz waltz that highlights Washut’s gift for lyricism and rich ensemble color. The piece unfolds like a narrative—delicate and introspective at first, then gradually expanding into expressive solos and lush full-band textures. Solo features for bass, piano (or guitar), and tenor saxophone create moments of intimate dialogue within the broader sweep of the ensemble. With its graceful 3/4 pulse and nuanced harmonic writing, Fairy Tale invites performers and listeners alike to step into a sound world that balances elegance, energy, and imagination.
1529 Gunn Street
Don Pullen
arr. Bob Washut
With a title that evokes a specific address and the pulse of a place, 1529 Gunn Street blends blues roots, avant-jazz energy and big-band architectural boldness. Pullen’s original composition combines driving riffs, rhythmic intensity and spontaneous expressive leaps; in Washut’s arrangement those elements are preserved and expanded into full-ensemble dialogues, brass and saxes locked in freight-train momentum, solo voices cutting through the texture with urgency and soul. The result is music that honours Pullen’s fearless spirit and conductor’s vision for a band that breathes together yet celebrates individuality. At its best the piece asks: where is the journey taking us, and what happens when we arrive?
BOB WASHUT
Robert Washut is Emeritus Professor of Music at the University of Northern Iowa, where he retired in 2018 after serving as Director of Jazz Studies from 1980–2002. A renowned jazz composer, arranger, and pianist, he has received numerous commissions from collegiate and professional ensembles, with works published by Kendor Music, UNC Jazz Press, ejazzlines, Lorenz, Sierra, and others. During his 22 years leading the award-winning UNI Jazz Band One, Washut recorded eleven CDs (two earning 5-star DownBeat reviews), toured Europe three times, and received multiple “Outstanding Band” and “Outstanding Performance” citations. A respected clinician and adjudicator, he has directed all-state jazz bands in 16 states. As a pianist, Washut founded the Latin jazz ensemble Orquesta Alto Maiz in 1986, performing with the group for 27 years and recording ten albums. His other recordings include Journey to Knowhere (2018), Gemini (2007), and Songbook (1999). Washut’s honors include induction into both the Iowa IAJE and Des Moines Jazz Halls of Fame, the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Orfeus Award (2018), UNI’s Distinguished Scholar Award (2015), and the Iowa Bandmasters Association Honorary Lifetime Membership (2019).
Gordon Vernick
Dr. Gordon Vernick is a Professor of Music and Coordinator of Jazz Studies at Georgia State University. He holds a Bachelor of Music from Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY; a Master of Music from the University of Miami, and a Doctor of Arts from the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley.
As a professional trumpet player, he has performed in all musical mediums from symphony orchestra to jazz quartet and has free-lanced all over the world. He is currently active as a clinician, an adjudicator, and as a freelance trumpet player.
As a jazz educator he is the past president of the Georgia Association of Jazz Educators and past chair of the International Association of Jazz Educators Curriculum Committee. He is currently the Director of the Rialto Youth Jazz Orchestra and the musical director of the Rialto Jazz for Kids middle school jazz outreach program.
He is director of the GSU Faculty Jazztet which performs regularly in Atlanta and has appeared at the Atlanta Jazz Festival, the High Museum Jazz Series, the International Association for Jazz Education Conference and many other venues. He has performed with such world-renown jazz artists as Kenny Werner, Clare Fischer, John Hart, Kevin Hays, Conrad Herwig, Marc Copland, Randy Brecker, Paul McCandless, and others. As a clinician/teacher he has served residencies and performed at the Conservatory of San Juan, P.R., the Taipei American School in Taiwan, the Singapore American School, the Bangkok International School, Columbia College Chicago, The Conservatory of Bordeaux, the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and the Royal Northern Conservatory of Manchester, U.K.
His podcasts, Jazz Insights, have been featured on a number of websites including the New York Times and have been downloaded over 12 million times since May 2009 His CD, The Strangest Thing, was released on Jbird Records in May 2008 and his latest CD, Destination, was released in May 2012. He is a Van Laar trumpet clinician.