''It's About Time'' is the first CD digital format album release by the

California State University, Los Angeles California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) is a public university in Los Angeles, California. It is part of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system. Cal State LA offers 142 bachelor's degrees, 122 master's degrees, ...

Jazz Ensembles completed in 1990. In addition to two big bands (1989/1990) the CD features the

CSULA California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) is a public university in Los Angeles, California. It is part of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system. Cal State LA offers 142 bachelor's degrees, 122 master's degrees, ...

Jazz Sextet. The jazz bands had numerous student musicians that have made a name for themselves as professionals to include

Luis Bonilla Luis Diego Bonilla (October 12, 1965) is an American jazz trombonist of Costa Rican descent. He is also a producer, composer, and educator. Biography Early life, musical education and influences Luis Bonilla was born and raised in Eagle Rock, C ...

, Jack Cooper, Corey Gemme, Alan Parr, Randall Willis, Paul De Castro, Alex Henderson, Sheffer Bruton, Ruben Ramos, and José Arellano.

Background

In 1984 and 1985, the California State University, Los Angeles Music Department and CSULA Associated Students decided to fund LP recordings of the jazz ensemble to better serve as a teaching tool for student music, jazz groups. ''It's About Times'' is the fifth of six albums to come from CSULA during the 1980s featuring the award winning CSULA #1 Jazz Ensemble.1982 Playboy Jazz Festival winner
(Playboy Jazz Festival Volume I, ), 1986 finals of the Pacific Coast Collegiate Jazz Festival, 1988 combo winner of the Pacific Coast Collegiate Jazz Festival, special invited performances at the 1987 MENC Convention in Seattle and the 1989 IAJE Convention in San Diego The CD contains tracks from the #1 CSULA Jazz Ensembles of two successive years and a sextet to include compositions of five students and from the two directors (professor

and Jeff Benedict). There has been a consistent tradition of musicians coming from the CSULA program who have worked with major musical acts, on major studio and movie projects, and hold positions in higher education in music. The roster on this album is self-evident as to the diversity and level of student musicians CSULA developed at that time and has for many years dating far back to musicians (graduates) such as

Lennie Niehaus Leonard Niehaus (June 1, 1929 – May 28, 2020) was an American alto saxophonist, composer and arranger on the West Coast jazz scene. He played with the Stan Kenton Orchestra and served as one of Kenton's primary staff arrangers. He also played ...

and

Gabe Baltazar Gabriel Ruiz Hiroshi Baltazar Jr. (November 1, 1929 – June 12, 2022) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and woodwind doubler. Background and early years His mother, born Chiyoko Haraga on a Hawaii sugarcane plantation, was the daughter of ...

Track listing

Recording Sessions

* Recorded: May 11, 1989 Group IV Recording,

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

* Recorded: May 5 and 6, 199
Sage and Sound Recording

Hollywood, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Columbia Pictures, ...

* Mixing: May 25 and June 1, 199
Sage and Sound Recording

Personnel

Musicians

*Conductor
David Caffey
an
Jeff Benedict
*Saxes and woodwinds: Jack Cooper, David Quillen
Randall Willis
Victor Cisneros, Brian McFaddin, Erick Clements, Luis Segovia *Trumpets and flugelhorns
Alan Parr
Howard Choy, Corey Gemme, Jim Bynum, Steve Sotomoyor, Bub Gordon, Mike Collins *Trombones

, José Arellano, Alex Henderson, Brian Money, Gabino Varela, Sheffer Bruton *Guitar
Andre Bush
*Piano

Richard Kahn *Vibraphone and marimba: Cory Estrada *Bass
Ruben Ramos
*Drums: Marc Guité *Percussion: Mike Erpino

Production

*Recording engineers (Group IV Recording): George Belle *Recording engineers (Sage & Sound): Jim Mooney and Jerry Wood *Mixing engineers: George Belle (1989) *Mixing engineers: Jim Mooney and David Caffey (1990) *Mastering: CMS Digital, Robert Vosgien *Cover photo: Greg Parks

References

External links

* * {{Authority control 1990 albums California State University, Los Angeles Jazz Ensemble albums Big band albums