Steve Wiest ''(né'' John Stephen Wiest; born 1957) is an American

trombonist The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate ...

, composer, arranger,

big band 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 ...

director, music educator at the collegiate level, jazz clinician, author, and illustrator/cartoonist. From 1981 to 1985, he was a featured trombonist and arranger with the Maynard Ferguson Band. Wiest is in his year as Associate Professor of Jazz Studies and Commercial Music at the

University of Denver The University of Denver (DU) is a private research university in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1864, it is the oldest independent private university in the Rocky Mountain Region of the United States. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Univ ...

Lamont School of Music Lamont School of Music is the school of arts of the University of Denver, based in city of Denver, United States. In 1941, the school merged with the University of Denver. History Despite its separation from Denver University's main campus for m ...

. He is the Coordinator of the 21st Century Music Initiative at the school. Wiest has been a professor for of the years that he has been a professional trombonist, composer, and arranger. From 2007 to 2014, Wiest was Associate Professor of Music in Jazz Studies at the

University of North Texas College of Music The University of North Texas College of Music, based in Denton, is a comprehensive music school among the largest enrollment of any music institution accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. It developed the first jazz studies ...

and, from March 2009 to August 2014, he was director of the

One O'Clock Lab Band One O'Clock Lab Band is an ensemble of the Jazz Studies division at the University of North Texas College of Music in Denton, Texas. Since the 1970s, the band's albums have received seven Grammy Award nominations, including two for ''Lab 2009''. ...

and coordinator of the Lab Band program. At North Texas, Wiest also taught conducting, trombone, and oversaw The U-Tubes — the College of Music's jazz trombone band. Wiest is a three-time Grammy nominee — individually in 2008 for Best instrumental Arrangement and in 2010 for

Best Instrumental Composition The Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition (including its previous names) has been awarded since 1960. The award is presented to the composer of an original piece of music (not an adaptation), first released during the eligibility year. I ...

, and collaboratively in 2010 for

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album The Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album has been presented since 1961. From 1962 to 1971 and 1979 to 1991 the award title specified instrumental performances. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works ...

, which he directed. As of 2013, Wiest has in excess of 58 arrangements and compositions to his credit, which include 10 original compositions from his current project ''( see 2013–2014 project, below).''

Career

After attending Hattiesburg High School, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Wiest completed a bachelor's degree in Jazz Studies at the University of Southern Mississippi, mentored by Raoul F. Jerome. After graduation, he joined the band of Maynard Ferguson as a featured trombonist and one of two arrangers, touring five to seven months a year from 1981 to 1985. In 1985, Wiest began graduate school at the

University of North Texas The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public research university in Denton, Texas. It was founded as a nonsectarian, coeducational, private teachers college in 1890 and was formally adopted by the state 11 years later."Denton Normal School, ...

, earning a master's degree in Jazz Studies in 1988. While there, he played lead trombone in the

, which toured Australia in 1986 and produced one live album, and four studio albums. Three of his compositions and one arrangement were recorded on ''Lab '86, Lab '87, and Lab '88'', and another composition was recorded on ''Lab '89'', after he graduated. As a grad student, Wiest directed the Nine O'Clock Lab Band (1985–1986), served as an arranging TA for Paris Rutherford (1986–1987), and directed the Three O'Clock Lab Band (1987–1988). Wiest studied trombone with Vern L. Kagarice, DMA. Independently, Wiest also studied trombone with Jay Friedman of the Chicago Symphony. From 1988 to 1990, Wiest served as Assistant Director of Jazz Studies at the

University of Texas at Arlington The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA or UT Arlington) is a public research university in Arlington, Texas. The university was founded in 1895 and was in the Texas A&M University System for several decades until joining the University of ...

, where, among other things, he ran the UTA Improvisation Camp and directed the Small Jazz Group Program. For 17 years, from 1990 to 2007, Wiest was the Director of Jazz Studies and Trombone Performance at

University of Wisconsin–Whitewater The University of Wisconsin–Whitewater (UW–Whitewater) is a public university in Whitewater, Wisconsin. It is part of the University of Wisconsin System. Student enrollment in the 2014–2015 academic year was more than 12,000. The universit ...

, directing jazz ensembles, which included a standard modern

and the university's premier jazz band: an Art Blakey-style small group called The Jazz Symposium. He taught improvisation, music history, arranging, and classical trombone. For a number of years, Wiest was a member of the Faculty Brass Quintet Establishing a small group, rather than a big band, as the premier jazz ensemble and intensified advanced music laboratory was a pedagogical innovation of Wiest. The Jazz Symposium produced two

CDs The compact disc (CD) is a digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then released in Octo ...

, one featuring guest artist Ernie Watts. Under the direction of Wiest, The Jazz Symposium performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival, the

Montreux Jazz Festival The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annual ...

, and King's College London From 1994 to 1999, Wiest was a member of the Doc Severinsen Big Band. In 2006, Wiest reunited with Maynard Ferguson for Ferguson's final series of concerts: 6 nights, 12 sold-out performances at

The Blue Note ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

. From the fall of 2007 until August 2014, Wiest was at the

as Assistant Professor of Jazz Composition and Jazz Trombone. Wiest founded The U-Tubes, the College's trombone band. In May 2009, Wiest became director of

and coordinator of the Lab Band Program, after having served as interim director since August 2008. In 2014 Wiest joined the faculty at the

as Coordinator of the 21st Century Music Initiative. Since 2016 he has served as Co-Chair of Jazz Studies.

2013–2014 project

In August 2013, Wiest, a sci-fi enthusiast, published a

sci-fi Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel universe ...

novel, ''The Dover Stone: A Concerto for Folded Space.'' Wiest explains that it is built on inter-connected

vignettes Vignette may refer to: * Vignette (entertainment), a sketch in a sketch comedy * Vignette (graphic design), decorative designs in books (originally in the form of leaves and vines) to separate sections or chapters * Vignette (literature), short, i ...

or movements that comprise an epic tale of life from other worlds and our place in the

cosmos The cosmos (, ) is another name for the Universe. Using the word ''cosmos'' implies viewing the universe as a complex and orderly system or entity. The cosmos, and understandings of the reasons for its existence and significance, are studied in ...

. The Term "folded space" is a theoretical speed of travel, faster than the speed of light, exceeding relativistic velocity by folding space, bringing far to near, reducing the long distances to a virtual zero. The tale is the impetus for ten compositions by Wiest, who describes the works as " programmatically informed" by the science fiction." The fictional vignettes culminate to answer real-life physicist Enrico Fermi's famous question, "Where is everybody?", a reference to the wonderment of life elsewhere in the universe. The stories occur in periods from 1182 to 2457. The Steve Wiest Eclectic Electric Band will record the compositions as one album titled, ''Concerto for Folded Space.'' Wiest's compositional style ranges from straight ahead to jazz fusion, and sometimes

pop-rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...

. With this project, Wiest is experimenting with serialism, not in a strict sense, but many elements are generated from rows. The musical portion is an

ArtistShare ArtistShare is the internet's first commercial crowdfunding website.Crowd-Funding 101: What Every Musician Needs for a Successful Campaign It also operates as a record label and business model for artists which enables them to fund their projec ...

project and is scheduled for release early 2014. The band members are Wiest (composer and trombonist), Stockton Helbing (drums, producer), Braylon Lacy (bass), Ryan Davidson (guitar), Noel Johnston (guitar), and Daniel Pardo (flute). Guest artist are Bob Mintzer (tenor sax), Arlington Jones ''(né'' Arlington Julius Jones II) (piano), and

James Pankow James Carter Pankow is an American trombone player, songwriter and brass instrument player, best known as a founding member of the rock band Chicago. Early life, family and education Born in St. Louis, Missouri of German and Irish descent, Pa ...

(trombone). Essentially,

is the record label and represents Wiest's foray into an alternative model for producing music.

is a fan-funded platform where artists provide content for patrons who subscribe to access levels of their choosing. For example, on November 6, 2013, Wiest uploaded one in a series of "cool stuff", as he phrased it, to the ''Participant Zone'' of his

''Concerto for Folded Space'' site. The "cool stuff" included a " programmatic" analysis and complete score for "The Flutes of Glastonbury", one of the ten compositions. Other sci-fi inspired compositions Other

-related works composed by Wiest include "Ice-Nine", a 2009 composition scored for big band, drawn from

Kurt Vonnegut Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American writer known for his satirical and darkly humorous novels. In a career spanning over 50 years, he published fourteen novels, three short-story collections, five plays, and ...

's novel, ''

Cat's Cradle Cat's cradle is a game involving the creation of various string figures between the fingers, either individually or by passing a loop of string back and forth between two or more players. The true origin of the name is debated, though the fir ...

.'' "New Cydoinia", a 2010 big-band arrangement, is a programmatic representation of all of the theories and stories surrounding the enigmatic area on

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Roman god of war. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin at ...

known as

Cydonia Cydonia may refer to: Music * ''Cydonia'' (album), a 2001 album by The Orb * "Cydonia", a track by heavy metal band Crimson Glory from '' Astronomica'' Places and jurisdictions * Kydonia or Cydonia, an ancient city state on Crete, at modern ...

. "A Night in Pidruid", a 2006 composition scored for big band, is a programmatic and thematic development of characters and events in

Robert Silverberg Robert Silverberg (born January 15, 1935) is an American author and editor, best known for writing science fiction. He is a multiple winner of both Hugo and Nebula Awards, a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, and a Gr ...

's ''

Lord Valentine's Castle ''Lord Valentine's Castle'' is a novel by Robert Silverberg published in 1980. Plot summary ''Lord Valentine's Castle'' is a novel in which Lord Valentine liberates the planet Majipoor series, Majipoor from tyrannical rule and helps establish a ...

.'' "Blues From Space", a 1984 composition scored for big band, is a novelty tune about an alien who brings a philosophy of "Sing the Blues" to Earth.

Trombone manufacturer artist affiliations

* Griego Mouthpieces — Wiest uses a Griego Artist Series trombone mouthpiece designed for him called the Griego-Wiest SW Model; the mouthpiece was commercially introduced April 2013 * Edwards Trombones — Wiest performs on an Edwards trombone, called the "Excalibur", which was exclusively designed for him by Elias Christan Griego of Edwards Instruments *: ''For more information on Edwards Trombones, see

Getzen The Getzen Company is a family-owned manufacturer and wholesaler of brass instruments. The present product portfolio consists of trumpets, cornets, flugelhorns, trombones, and a baritone horn. Four generations of the Getzen family have particip ...

Professional affiliations

* 1982 — Wiest became a member of ASCAP while composing and arranging for Maynard Ferguson; after a hiatus, he rejoined in 2009

Awards and recognition

Academic * 1985–1986: Bill Stapleton Jazz Arranging Scholarship,

* 1986–1987: M.E. "Gene" Hall Jazz Scholarship,

Professional * January 2007: Wisconsin Arts Board Fellowship Award * 2010: ASCAP Plus Award, for creative contributions to American music during the year * Grammy nominations: **2008: Best Instrumental Arrangement - for ''"Besame Mucho"'' from ''The One and Only'' **2010:

- for "''Lab 2009"'' by

;

- for ''"Ice-Nine"''

Personal life

Wiest lives in Chicago, Illinois with his fiancé Deborah Lamberty. He has three children from previous marriages - a daughter, Amber with Pam Sonmor Wintz, and two sons, Matthew and David with Carmen Smith. His father, John Thomas Wiest (1932–2006) was a trombonist and his mother, Wanda Jean Smith Stegall (1934-2016) was a special education teacher. Wiest has three siblings, Jeanne Stegall-Keene, Robert Wiest and Andrew Wiest, a professor of history at the

University of Southern Mississippi The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a public research university with its main campus located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's, ma ...

. His cousin, Nick Drozdoff, is a jazz trumpeter and music educator based in the Chicago area who also played with Maynard Ferguson in the 1980s.

Works

Selected sessionography and discography

As leader * Steve Wiest Big Band
''Excalibur''
Recorded in Chicago, August 5, 6 & 19, 2005

Arabesque The arabesque is a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils" or plain lines, often combined with other elements. Another definition is "Foli ...

AJO180 (2006); * Quintet
''Out of the New''

AJ0189 (2008
(sample video)
*: Wiest (trombone); Stefan Karlsson (piano), Lynn Seaton (bass),

Ed Soph Ed Soph (born March 21, 1945, in Coronado, California) is an American jazz drummer and educator. Biography Soph was raised in Houston, Texas. He enrolled at North Texas State University (University of North Texas) in 1963 as a music major but s ...

(drums), and Fred Hamilton ''(né'' Frederick E. Hamilton) (guitar) * The Steve Wiest Eclectic Electric Band
''Concerto for Folded Space''

(scheduled release, early 2014)Note: ArtistShare® is a trademark of

Brian Camelio Brian Camelio is an American record producer, musician, entrepreneur, and founder of ArtistShare.Bob Grossweiner, Jane CohenIndustry Profile: Brian Camelio Celebrity Access, February 29, 2008. Consulted on October 9, 2011 Fred KaplanMUSIC; D.I.Y. ...

; ArtistShare, Inc., a Delaware corporation *: Stockton Helbing (drums, producer), Braylon Lacy (bass), Ryan Davidson (guitar), Noel Johnston (guitar), Daniel Pardo (flute) *: Featured guests: (i) Bob Mintzer (tenor sax), (ii) Arlington Jones ''(né'' Arlington Julius Jones II) (piano), (iii)

(trombone) As director of the

* ''Lab 2009'' (CD); * ''Lab 2010'' (CD); * ''Lab 2011'' (CD & DVD); * ''Lab 2012'' (CD & DVD); * ''Lab 2013'' (CD); * ''Lab 2014'' (CD) As director of the U-Tubes * ''The U-Tubes'' (2010);
samples
As director of The Jazz Symposium, UW-Whitewater * ''Presenting the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Jazz Symposium'' (1898) *: Tracks 3 & 4 recorded live at the

, June 1996 *: Track 7 recorded live at Irvin L. Young Auditorium, UW-Whitewater, February 1996 *: Tracks 1 & 2, 5 & 6, 8 & 9 recorded in a studio 1996 * ''The best of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Jazz Symposium: 1996–1997'' (1997) As trombonist and arranger with Maynard Ferguson * ''1982 Playboy Jazz Festival'', Two volumes (video) *: Recorded live from

The Hollywood Bowl The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in America by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018. The Hollywood Bowl is known for its distin ...

, June 19 & 20, 1982 *: RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1984); *: Maynard Ferguson, Stan Mark, Alan Wise, Hobby Freeman (trumpets); Steve Wiest, Cris Braymen (trombones); Nelson Hill (alto sax); Dan Jordan (tenor sax); Denis DiBlasio (bari sax, flute); Ron Pedley (keyboards); Matt Bissonette (bass);

Gregg Bissonette Gregg Bissonette (born June 9, 1959) is an American jazz and rock drummer and vocalist. He is the brother of bassist Matt Bissonette, with whom he frequently collaborates. He has played on albums by dozens of recording artists, including David ...

(Drums) * ''Storm''
Live, Studio,

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, ...

, June 23 & 24, 1982

Palo Alto Records Palo Alto Records was a jazz record company and label that released most of its discography in the 1980s. The label was founded in 1981 by Jim Benham, who lived in Palo Alto, California. He played trumpet in a big band and was chairman of the Benham ...

(1982); * ''Live From San Francisco''
Recorded at the

Great American Music Hall The Great American Music Hall is a concert hall in San Francisco, California. It is located on O'Farrell Street in the Tenderloin neighborhood on the same block as the Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theatre. It is known for its decorative balconies ...

, San Francisco, May 27, 1983

Palo Alto Palo Alto (; Spanish for "tall stick") is a charter city in the northwestern corner of Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a coastal redwood tree known as El Palo Alto. The city was es ...

PA8077N (1983); * ''

Kool Jazz Festival The Newport Jazz Festival is an annual American multi-day jazz music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island. Elaine Lorillard established the festival in 1954, and she and husband Louis Lorillard financed it for many years. They hir ...

'' (1982)
Recorded live for the

Voice of America Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is the state-owned news network and international radio broadcaster of the United States of America. It is the largest and oldest U.S.-funded international broadcaster. VOA produces digital, TV, and radio content ...

on July 3, 1982

Saratoga Performing Arts Center Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) is a large amphitheatre located in Saratoga Springs, New York, on the grounds of Saratoga Spa State Park. It presents summer performances of classical music, jazz, pop and rock, country, comedy, dance, opera, ...

Saratoga Springs, New York Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over 2 ...

; * ''The One And Only''
Recorded at Bennett Studios, Englewood, New Jersey, July 25–30, 2006
Maynard Ferguson Trust (2007); *# " Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone", arranged by Wiest
audio sample
*# " Besame Mucho", arranged by Wiest, Grammy nominee
audio sample
As trombonist with the Frank Mantooth Jazz Orchestra * ''Per-se-vere''
Recorded at Streeterville Studios, Chicago, October 5–7 & 29, 1989
Optimism Records (1987), released by Sea Breeze; * ''Dangerous Precedent''
Recorded at Streeterville Studios, Chicago, December 1991 to December 1992
Sea Breeze (1993); * ''Sophisticated Lady''
Recorded January 23, April 24, December 13 & 14, 1994
Sea Breeze (1995); As trombonist with other artists * Arch Martin ''(né'' Archie Eugene Martin; 1931–2009)
''Jazz In Good Taste'', Janelle (1993)
Recorded in Kansas City, July 3 & 4, 1993 * Doc Severinsen and His Big Band
''Swingin' The Blues''
Recorded in Hollywood, February 4 & 5, 1999
Azica Records & Naxos Digital (1999); *

Ronnie Bedford Ronnie Bedford (June 2, 1931 – December 20, 2014) was an American jazz drummer and professor. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Bedford was one of the founders of the Yellowstone Jazz Festival held annually in Cody, Wyoming, and was the recipi ...

& Friends
''QuaDRUMvirate''
Recorded in

Powell, Wyoming Powell is a city in Park County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 6,314 at the 2010 census. Powell is an All-America City and home to Northwest College. History Powell was incorporated in 1909. Powell was named for John Wesley Powel ...

, October 4, 1999
Progressive PCD-7123; As student trombonist and arranger with the

* ''With Respect to Stan;'' *: Recorded at Chelsea Sound Studios, New York, 1986 * ''Live in Australia – The 1986 Tour;'' (CD) *: Recorded at the Festival Theatre, Adelaide, Australia, July 20, 1986 * ''Lab '86;'' *: Recorded at the Dallas Sound Lab, Irving, Texas, May 1986 *: Trombonist and composer of "The Miles Files" (1986
(audio from ''Lab '86)''
* ''Lab '87;'' *: Recorded at the Dallas Sound Lab, Irving, Texas, May 17 & 18, 1987 * ''Lab '88;'' *: Recorded at the Dallas Sound Lab, Irving, Texas, May 14 & 15, 1988 *: Trombonist and composer of "On the Edge" (1988
(audio from ''Lab '88,'' trombone solo by Wiest)
As composer and trombonist with other artists *

''Lab '89;''
Recorded at the Dallas Sound Lab, Irving, Texas, April 30 & May 1, 1989"With You", composed & arranged by Wiest (as an alumni) * Dan Cavanagh's ''(né'' Daniel M. Cavanagh) Jazz Emporium Big Band
''Pulse'', OA2 Records 22048 (2008); *: Recorded at Crystal Clear Sound Recording Studios,

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...

, March 2 & 3, 2008 * Stockton Helbing ''(né'' Stockton Thomas Helbing)
''For Nothing is Secret'', Armored Records (2007); *: Recorded in

, December 13–15, 2006

Selected compositions and arrangements

Kendor Music, Inc., distributor :* "Art Appreciation"
A tribute to Art Blakey
Composed & arranged by Wiest
Cojarco Music, Inc. (1998); :* "The Groove", (composed in the style of Art Blakey)
Commissioned by the

Illinois Music Educators Association The Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) is the Illinois state-level affiliate of National Association for Music Education. It formed in 1941 out of the previous Illinois School Music Association. ILMEA offers support to Illinois music ed ...

1999 All State Jazz Ensemble (1999) :* "Thaditude"
Commissioned by the Jazz Division of the

2009 Illinois All State Jazz Ensemble
Doug Beach Music (2009) ( ASCAP) UNC Jazz Press,

Greeley, Colorado Greeley is the List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality city that is the county seat and the List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous municipality of Weld County, Colorado, Weld County, Colorado, ...

: From

albums :# "The Miles Files"(audio from ''Lab '86)''(live in 1997)
(1986) :# "Upside Downside"
Composed by

Mike Stern Mike Stern (born January 10, 1953) is an American jazz guitarist. After playing with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he worked with drummer Billy Cobham, then with trumpeter Miles Davis from 1981 to 1983 and again in 1985. He then began a solo career, ...

Arranged by Wiest
(recorded on ''Lab '87)'' (1986);
Video sample

DR Big Band The Danish Radio Big Band (aka: DR Big Band), often referred to as the Radioens Big Band is a radio ensemble and big band founded in Copenhagen in 1964 at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR). Band history Originally called the New Radio ...

, 2007 :# "Night Visions"
Composed & arranged by Wiest
(recorded on ''Lab '87)'' (1987); :# "On the Edge" (1988)(audio from ''Lab '88)''
trombone solo by Wiest :# "With You"
(recorded on ''Lab '89;'' ) (1989) : From UNC Jazz Lab Band 1 albums :# "Second Thought", composed & arranged by Wiest (1998); :# "Gotham City", commissioned by the

University of Northern Colorado The University of Northern Colorado (UNC) is a public university in Greeley, Colorado. The university was founded in 1889 as the State Normal School of Colorado and has a long history in teacher education. The institution has officially changed ...

Lab Band I (1991) :# "Another Frame", arranged by Wiest (1998) (composed 1985); : From other projects :* "The Modal House of Hip Hop"
Commissioned by Curt Hanrahan for the Milwaukee Youth Jazz Ensemble (2005) :* "Overview"
Commissioned by Neil E. Hansen,

Northwest College Northwest College is a Public college, public community college in Powell, Wyoming. History Northwest College opened in 1946, as the "University of Wyoming Northwest Center," with the support of the University of Wyoming and the local school dis ...

(1998) Walrus Music Publishing – trade name for Daniel Franz Beher,

Pismo Beach, California Pismo Beach (Chumash: ''Pismuʔ'') is a city in the southern portion of San Luis Obispo County, in the Central Coast area of California, United States. The estimated population was 8,072 at the 2020 census, up from 7,655 in the 2010 census. It ...

audio samples
:* "The Fulton Files", commissioned by Jesse Woolery for

Denton High School Denton High School is a public high school located in the city of Denton, Texas and classified as a 5A school by the UIL. It is a part of the Denton Independent School District located in central Denton County and was the original high schoo ...

, composed 2012 :* "Don't Give Up Hope"
Dedicated to the victims of the 2011 Tōhoku tsunami :* "It Happened On Cooper Street"
Commissioned by Tim Ishii for the

Composed by Wiest 2012 ( ASCAP) : From

albums :# "Spirals" (from ''Lab 2008)'' :# "Ice-Nine
(video from ''Lab 2009)''(live from Birdland, March 10, 2009)
:# "New Cydonia
(video from ''Lab 2010)''
:# "The Last Theme Song
(video from ''Lab 2011)''
:# "Denton Standard Time" (from ''Lab 2013)'' : Written for other North Texas lab bands :# "Puddin' Time"
Composed by Brad Leali ''(née)'' Bradford C Leali
Arranged 2010 by Wiest for the Three O'Clock Lab Band, Brad Leali, director :# "Wes' Side Story" (

Wes Montgomery John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery (March 6, 1923 – June 15, 1968) was an American jazz guitarist. Montgomery was known for an unusual technique of plucking the strings with the side of his thumb and his extensive use of octaves, which gave him a dist ...

)
Composed 2010 by Wiest for the Two O'Clock,

Jay Saunders Jay Saunders ''(né'' John Henry Saunders III; born 29 June 1944 Sacramento, California) is an American trumpeter and music educator at the collegiate level. In the 1970s, Saunders was a lead trumpeter with big bands — notably the Stan Kenton Or ...

, director : From the album, ''Excalibur'' :# "Excalibur", composed by Wiest 2006 :# "The Silver Spin", composed by Wiest 2006 :# "Cerulean 12", composed by Wiest 2006 :# "The Once and Future Groove", composed by Wiest 2006 :# "A Night In Pidruid", composed by Wiest 2006 Maynard Ferguson Publishing and library : Recorded and performed by the Maynard Ferguson Band :# " Besame Mucho
Composed by

Consuelo Velázquez Consuelo Velázquez Torres (August 21, 1916 in Ciudad Guzmán, Jalisco – January 22, 2005, Mexico City), also popularly known as Consuelito Velázquez, was a Mexican concert pianist and composer. She was the composer of famous Mexican ballads ...

& Sunny Skylar
Arranged by Wiest 2006
(recorded on ''The One and Only;'' ) :# " Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone"
Composed by

Bill Withers William Harrison Withers Jr. (July 4, 1938 – March 30, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He had several hits over a career spanning 18 years, including " Ain't No Sunshine" (1971), " Grandma's Hands" (1971), " Use Me" (197 ...

Arranged by Wiest 2004
(recorded on ''The One and Only;'' ) :# " I Love You"
Composed by Cole Porter
Arranged by Wiest
(recorded on ''Brass Attitude;'' ) :# "

I'm Old Fashioned "I'm Old Fashioned" is a 1942 song composed by Jerome Kern, with lyrics written by Johnny Mercer. It was written for the film ''You Were Never Lovelier'' (1942), where it was introduced by Nan Wynn who dubbed for Rita Hayworth as part of a song ...

"
Music by

Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in ove ...

, lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Arranged by Wiest 2004
(recorded on ''MF Horn VI;'' ) : Performed by the Maynard Ferguson Band :* "Smile Again", composed & arranged by Wiest 1981 :* "Brother to Brother", composed by

Gino Vannelli Gino Vannelli (born June 16, 1952) is a Canadian rock singer and songwriter who had several hit songs in the 1970s and 1980s. His best-known singles include "People Gotta Move" (1974), "I Just Wanna Stop" (1978), "Living Inside Myself" (1981) an ...

, arranged by Wiest 1981 :* "Gabriel's Gig Bag", composed & arranged by Wiest 1982 :* "Return of the Chameleon", based on " Chameleon" by Herbie Hancock, adopted and arranged by Wiest 1983 :* "Blues From Space", lyrics & music by Wiest (1984) :* "Tyrannosaurus", composed & arranged by Wiest 1984 :* "Whiplash", composed & arranged by Wiest 1984 :* "Compared to You", lyrics & music by Wiest (1985) :* "Portrait of Pamela J.", composed & arranged by Wiest (1985) :* "Balboa", composed & arranged by Wiest 1985 :* "Megabyte", composed & arranged by Wiest 1999 :* "Step Aside", composed & arranged by Wiest 1999 Other publishers : Recorded and performed by the Maynard Ferguson Band :* "Portuguese Love"
Composed by Teena Marie Brockert
Arranged by

Todd Cochran Todd Cochran (born September 3, 1951) is an American pianist, composer, keyboardist, essayist and conceptual artist. Early in his career he was also professionally known as Bayeté. Cochran started his career as a teenager with saxophonist John H ...

, adapted by Wiest 1982
(from the "Live" performance by Maynard Ferguson), Jobete Publishing (1982); : Performed by the Maynard Ferguson Band :* "South 21st Shuffle"
Arranged for Maynard Ferguson's band by Wiest
Adapted for full big band by Bob Lowden ''(né'' Robert W. Lowden; 1920–1998)
Barnhouse (1983); : From

albums :* "The Fifth Shade
(audio sample from ''Lab 2012)'' at 4:00
: From the

:* "Bu's Groove"
"Bu" is short for "

Buhaina ''Buhaina'' is an album by drummer Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers recorded in 1973 and released on the Prestige label.Art Blakey's Muslim surname
Composed by Michael W. Plog
Arranged by Wiest 2000 Unpublished :* "Hornets Nest" (1988)
Composed as a possible theme song for the Charlotte Hornets basketball franchise

Jazz festivals, concerts, master classes, and workshops

In addition to Wiest's concert appearances at music festivals, clinics, and camps as director of the

, he has appeared as an artist and clinician with organizations and events that include: Collegiate * Northwest Jazz Festival,

(1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998) *

Coe College Coe College is a private liberal arts college in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It was founded in 1851 and is historically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). The college is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest and the Associatio ...

Jazz Summit (1998) * The

Elmhurst College Elmhurst University is a private university in Elmhurst, Illinois. It has a tradition of service-oriented learning and an affiliation with the United Church of Christ. The university changed its name from Elmhurst College on July 1, 2020. Hist ...

Jazz Festival (2009) * The

University of Texas at Tyler The University of Texas at Tyler (UT Tyler) is a public research university in Tyler, Texas. Founded in 1971, it is a part of the University of Texas System. UT Tyler consists of five professional colleges and one traditional college of arts and ...

(2007, 2010) * The

Symphony Orchestra (2011) *

Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...

Jazz Ensemble I * Missouri State University Jazz Studies Ensemble, Springfield Jazz Festival (guest soloist; 2012) * The

Illinois State University Illinois State University (ISU) is a public university in Normal, Illinois. Founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University, it is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teaching and is recognized as one of th ...

Jazz Festival (2012) * The

Illinois Wesleyan University Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockford ...

Jazz Festival (headliner; 2011, 2012) * Sunbelt Jazz Festival,

University of West Georgia The University of West Georgia is a public university in Carrollton, Georgia. The university offers a satellite campus in Newnan, Georgia, select classes at its Douglasville Center, and off-campus Museum Studies classes at the Atlanta History Ce ...

Middle Tennessee Middle Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of the U.S. state of Tennessee that composes roughly the central portion of the state. It is delineated according to state law as 41 of the state's 95 counties. Middle Tennessee contains the ...

Jazz Orchestra *

Rowan University Rowan University is a public research university in Glassboro, New Jersey, with a medical campus in Stratford and medical and academic campuses in Camden. It was founded in 1923 as Glassboro Normal School on a site donated by 107 residents. ...

Jazz Festival,

Glassboro, New Jersey Glassboro is a borough in Gloucester County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the borough's population was 18,579,University of Northern Colorado The University of Northern Colorado (UNC) is a public university in Greeley, Colorado. The university was founded in 1889 as the State Normal School of Colorado and has a long history in teacher education. The institution has officially changed ...

Jazz Festival, Greeley Scholastic * Annual South Dakota All-State Jazz Band Festival (1995, 1996, 1999) * The Cudahy High School Band Cudahy, Wisconsin (1991 & 1995) * Youth Jazz Ensemble of DuPage,

Wheaton, Illinois Wheaton is a suburban city in Milton and Winfield Townships and is the county seat of DuPage County, Illinois. It is located approximately west of Chicago. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 52,894, which was estimated ...

(2005) *

Beloit Memorial High School Beloit Memorial High School is a public, four-year comprehensive high school in Beloit, Wisconsin. Academics Beloit Memorial has an enrollment of approximately 1,700 students, with 120 full-time certified staff and an average class size of 28 s ...

Beloit, Wisconsin Beloit is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 36,657 people. History Twelve men in Colebrook, New Hampshire, created the "New England Emigrating Company" in October 1836 and sen ...

(2006) * Lincoln Senior High School,

East St. Louis, Illinois East St. Louis is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois. It is directly across the Mississippi River from Downtown St. Louis, Missouri and the Gateway Arch National Park. East St. Louis is in the Metro-East region of Southern Illinois. Once a b ...

( Miles Davis' alma mater) * Badger Union High School Jazz Band,

Geneva, Wisconsin Geneva is a town in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 5,390 at the 2020 census. The census-designated place of Como is located in the town. The unincorporated community of Lake Como is also located in the town. Geog ...

Rolling Meadows High School Rolling Meadows High School, RMHS, is a public four-year high school located in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Township High School District 214, the second largest high sc ...

Jazz Festival, Rolling Meadows, Illinois (2009) Regional, national, professional * The

Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues Festival The Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues Festival (more commonly JazzFest) is an annual three-day outdoor musical event, featuring two stages and is free to the public. It is one of the largest free music festivals in its region and is held annually at Yan ...

(2006) * The Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival (2007) *

The Jazz Knights The Jazz Knights was the jazz ensemble of the United States Military Academy Band stationed at West Point, New York; it was one of the premiere jazz ensembles of the United States Army Special Bands. Originally created in 1972, they carried the ...

, United States Military Academy Band (2007) * Albuquerque Jazz Orchestra, 2008 NMIAJE Jazz All-State Conference (New Mexico Chapter if the International Association of Jazz Education) * Army Blues,

United States Army Band The United States Army Band, also known as "Pershing's Own", is the premier musical organization of the United States Army, founded in 1922. There are currently nine official performing ensembles in the unit: The U.S. Army Concert Band, The U.S. A ...

, Eastern Trombone Workshop (2011) As director of The Jazz Symposium, UW-Whitewater *

* North Sea Jazz Festival As director of the

* Guinness Jazz Festival,

Cork (city) Cork ( , from , meaning 'marsh') is the second largest city in Ireland and third largest city by population on the island of Ireland. It is located in the south-west of Ireland, in the province of Munster. Following an extension to the city ...

, Ireland * Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival * Folsom Jazz Festival, Folsom, California

Selected videography and podcasts

Maynard Ferguson *

Playboy Jazz Festival The Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival is an event held in the Hollywood Bowl that celebrates jazz and features both established and up-and-coming jazz musicians. Founded in 1959 by Hugh Hefner as the Playboy Jazz Festival, it was held in Chicago but d ...

, 1982, Volume II
RCA Columbia Pictures Home Video (1984); *# "

Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is a single written and recorded by American singer Michael Jackson. Released under Epic Records on July 10, 1979, the song is the first track on Jackson's fifth studio album '' Off the Wall'' (1979). It was t ...

", by

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

Arranged by Denis DiBlasio
Wiest solo at 1:44
* 2nd Annual Budweiser Newport Jazz Festival, Madarao, Japan (August 1983) *: Source: Japanese TV footage *
"Bebop Buffet, Part I,"
a tribute to Dizzy Gillespie,

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk (, October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including " 'Round Midnight", ...

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of musi ...

, and Clifford Brown
Arranged by Denis DiBlasio *
"Gonna Fly Now"
(theme from ''

Rocky ''Rocky'' is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise and stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burge ...

)'' (at 14:15) : Personnel includes Maynard Ferguson – soloist (leader, trumpet), Steve Wiest (trombone),

Tim Ries Timothy M. Ries (born 15 August 1959) is an American saxophonist, composer, arranger, band leader, and music educator at the collegiate/conservatory level. Ries is in his year as a professor of jazz studies at the University of Toronto. His un ...

– soloist (alto sax), Daniel Jordan – soloist (tenor sax), Denis DiBlasio – soloist (bari sax, piccolo, scat singing),

( bass), Matt Bissonette ( drums) :* Live at Disneyland (1983)Bebop Buffet, Part I
(Wiest solo at 8:44) * ZDF Jazz Club, studio broadcast with live audience, Berlin (1987) *
"Maynard's Theme", "Body & Soul," "Shuffle Monk"
*

Berlin Jazz Festival JazzFest Berlin (also known as the Berlin Jazz Festival) is a jazz festival in Berlin, Germany. Originally called the "Berliner Jazztage" (''Berlin Jazz Days''), it was founded in 1964 in West Berlin by the Berliner Festspiele. Venues included B ...

, November 7, 1987, shared billing with the Chick Corea Acoustic Band, and the

Gil Evans Orchestra Ian Ernest Gilmore Evans (né Green; May 13, 1912 – March 20, 1988) was a Canadian–American jazz pianist, arranger, composer and bandleader. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest orchestrators in jazz, playing an important role i ...

— multinational broadcast,

ZDF ZDF (, short for Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen; ; "Second German Television") is a German public-service television broadcaster based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. It is run as an independent nonprofit institution, which was founded by all fe ...

*: High Voltage personnel: Maynard Ferguson (trumpet, leader), Matt Wallace (tenor & alto sax), Michael Lufkin (bass), John Toomey (keyboards), Tom Bevan (guitar), David Tull (drums), Billy Hulting (percussion, vibes, marimba, midi-mallet, beat-boxer) *: Added personnel:

Wayne Bergeron Wayne Bergeron (born January 16, 1958) is an American jazz trumpeter. Bergeron rose to prominence as a member of Maynard Ferguson's band in the 1980s. Since then, he has worked on over 400 TV and motion picture soundtracks. As a lead and studi ...

, Don Hahn (trumpets), Steve Wiest (reuniting while in grad school),

(alto sax), Denis DiBlasio (bari sax, flute) *
"The Market Place" & "Jack Usage" (at 11:55)
* Maynard Ferguson Tribute Concert DVD (2007), Vol. 1 of 2; *: Recorded live, September 20, 2006, Touhill Performing Arts Center,

University of Missouri–St. Louis The University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL) is a public research university in St. Louis, Missouri. Established in 1963, it is one of four universities in the University of Missouri System and its newest. Located on the former grounds of Bel ...

*: Personnel on Vol. 1 includes: Trumpets —

, Carl Fischer, Ernie Hammes, Stan Mark, Eric Miyashiro, Dennis Noday,

Lew Soloff Lewis Michael Soloff (February 20, 1944–March 8, 2015) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and actor. Biography From his birth place of New York City, United States, he studied trumpet at the Eastman School of Music and the Juilliard Sc ...

, Andrea Tofanelli, Walter White, Patrick Hession, Steve Schankman, Peter Olstad, Serafin Aguilar; saxes — Mike Dubaniewicz (alto), Matt Wallace (tenor), Denis DiBlasio (bari); trombones — Steve Wiest; piano — Christian Jacob, Chip Stevens, Jeff Lashway

* One O'Clock Alumni Lab Band, ''50-Year Anniversary of the UNT Jazz Studies Program'' (1997) *: Director:

Leon Breeden Harold Leon Breeden (3 October 1921 – 11 August 2010) was a jazz educator and musician. Biography When he was three his parents moved to Wichita Falls, Texas, where he grew up and graduated from high school. He attended Texas Wesleyan College i ...

; saxes: Jim Riggs (lead),

Dan Higgins Dan Higgins (born January 28, 1957 in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American saxophone and woodwind player. He has worked with such artists as John Williams, Seth MacFarlane, Aerosmith, Stevie Wonder, Neil Diamond, Al Jarreau, Maroon 5, Kenny Loggin ...

Lou Marini Louis William Marini Jr. (born May 13, 1945), known as "Blue Lou" Marini, is an American saxophonist, arranger, and composer. He is best known for his work in jazz, rock, blues, and soul music, as well as his association with The Blues Brothe ...

, Randy Lee, Bev Smith; trumpets: Gary Grant (lead),

, John Thomas, Clay Jenkins, Marv Stamm; trombones:

Tom "Bones" Malone Thomas "Bones" Malone (born June 16, 1947) is an American jazz musician, arranger, and producer. As his nickname implies, he specializes on the trombone but he also plays saxophone, trumpet, tuba, flute, and bass guitar. He has been a member of ...

(lead), Steve Wiest, Chris Seiter, Jimmy Clark (bass), Bill Guthrie (bass); rhythm: Dan Haerle (piano),

(drums), Jack Peterson (guitar),

Tony Scherr Tony Scherr is an American jazz and folk rock bassist, guitarist, singer-songwriter, and record producer. Biography Scherr was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and is a graduate of the Hammonasset School. He played with Woody Herman as a teenag ...

(bass), Gene Glover (percussion) *: Solos: Jim Riggs (soprano), Clay Jenkins (trumpet), Randy Lee (tenor), Steve Wiest (trombone),

(alto), Chris Seiter (trombone),

(drums), and Gary Grant (trumpet). *#
A Good Time Was Had By All,"
composed by

Thad Jones Thaddeus Joseph Jones (March 28, 1923 – August 20, 1986) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader who has been called "one of the all-time greatest jazz trumpet soloists". Biography Thad Jones was born in Pontiac, Michigan, U ...

Other works

Cartoons and illustrations Articles Liner notes Digital media jazz advocacy

References

General references

Inline citations

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wiest, Steve 1957 births Living people American jazz trombonists Male trombonists American jazz composers American male jazz composers American music educators American jazz educators American cartoonists American science fiction writers University of Southern Mississippi alumni University of North Texas College of Music alumni University of Texas at Arlington faculty University of Wisconsin–Whitewater faculty University of North Texas College of Music faculty Music of Denton, Texas American male novelists Novelists from Texas Novelists from Wisconsin Jazz musicians from Texas 21st-century trombonists 21st-century American male musicians