Buselli–Wallarab Jazz Orchestra is a

jazz orchestra A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...

consisting of seventeen pieces. BWJO co-founders Mark Buselli and Brent Wallarab are music educators, as well as musicians and composers. Their common commitment to America's jazz heritage brought the BWJO to life and helped define the mission of the organization. They regularly hold concerts and clinics at public schools in Indianapolis.They were inducted into the Indianapolis Jazz Hall of Fame in 2017.

Brent Wallarab

Wallarab is a 1987 graduate of Southern Illinois University Carbondale School of Music and 1989 graduate of

Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington (IU Bloomington, Indiana University, IU, or simply Indiana) is a public university, public research university in Bloomington, Indiana. It is the flagship university, flagship campus of Indiana University and, with ...

. Since 1991, Brent Wallarab has served as Specialist in Jazz for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. During this time he has transcribed, edited, and restored nearly 300 works for big band deemed by the Smithsonian as national treasures. Wallarab also performs as lead and solo trombonist for the

Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra (SJMO) is the national jazz orchestra of the United States. It is based at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., where it is the orchestra-in-residence. The SJMO was founded in 199 ...

, the ensemble-in-residence of the National Museum of American History, a position he has held since the inception of the orchestra in 1991. Wallarab is an arranger, composer, teacher, and performer who has toured northern Italy and South Africa, conducting master classes, workshops, and performances. As an arranger, Wallarab is featured on dozens of recordings and has written for many artists including Wynton Marsalis, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Bobby Short, The New York Pops Orchestra, The Chicago Jazz Ensemble, Charlie Haden, Med Flory, Randy Brecker, and Joe Lovano. In 1994, Wallarab, along with Mark Buselli, founded the Buselli–Wallarab Jazz Orchestra, a professional jazz ensemble based in

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

, Indiana, dedicated to the creation of new works for jazz orchestra and developing programs for jazz education. Wallarab currently teaches jazz ensemble and jazz arranging at the Jacobs School of Music of

, Indiana.

Mark Buselli

Buselli earned degrees from

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...

in Boston and Indiana University. Currently he is head of Jazz Studies at

Ball State University Ball State University (Ball State, State or BSU) is a public university, public research university in Muncie, Indiana. It has two satellite facilities in Fishers, Indiana, Fishers and Indianapolis. On July 25, 1917, the Ball brothers, indust ...

Muncie, Indiana Muncie ( ) is an incorporated city and the county seat, seat of Delaware County, Indiana, Delaware County, Indiana. Previously known as Buckongahelas Town, named after the legendary Delaware Chief.http://www.delawarecountyhistory.org/history/docs ...

. In May 2007, he was awarded the Creative Vision award from '' NUVO'' magazine. He was awarded the Dean's Creative Award at Ball State for his 2009 release of ''An Old Soul'' by the BWJO that was voted the No. 6 release of 2009 by ''JAZZIZ'' magazine. As the Education director for the BWJO Buselli has created programs that have been seen by more than 50,000 students in the mid-west region. Buselli has over forty arrangements published for big bands, brass ensemble, and piano/ trumpet. He has ten recordings out as a leader on the

Owl Studios Owl Studios is a jazz record label founded in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 2005. In 2013 the label was sold and renamed Owl Music Group. History Founding Owl Studios was started in 2005 by Al Hall, an Indianapolis businessman, to promote local jazz ...

and OA2 record labels. He has appeared on numerous recordings as a sideman and has performed for presidents

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...

, George H. Bush,

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

, and

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

. Mark is a Yamaha artist.

Discography

* ''Through the Eyes of a Child'' (Buselli, 1997) * ''Happenstance'' (2001) * ''Heart & Soul: The Music of Hoagy Carmichael'' ( Owl, 2003) * ''Take the Mitsu'' (Buselli, 2003) * ''Carol of the Bells'' (Owl, 2007) * ''Basically Baker'' (2007) * ''Where or When'' (Owl, 2008) * ''An Old Soul'' (Owl, 2009) * ''Mezzanine'' (Owl, 2010) * ''Untold Stories'' (Buselli, 2014) * ''Basically Baker Vol. 2'' (Patois, 2016) * The Gennett Suite (Patois, 2023)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra American jazz ensembles Big bands Swing musicians Owl Studios artists