The Pete Mills Band, Guest Artist Pete McCann, and the Denison University Jazz Ensemble will take the Burke Hall stages during the Spring Jazz Weekend. The concluding events on the "year of the guitar" concert calendar will kick-off with a masterclass/rehearsal from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday (March 31) in the Burke Rehearsal Hall. The Denison Jazz Ensemble will work with jazz guitarist McCann during this open rehearsal.

At 8 p.m. on Saturday evening in the Burke Recital Hall, the Pete Mills Band with Pete McCann as featured guest artist will perform original music from Mills' upcoming CD release, "Fresh Spin." Then, at 3 p.m. on Sunday afternoon (April 1) in Burke Recital Hall, the Jazz Ensemble will play with McCann as guest artist. Both of these concerts are free and open to the public.

McCann has been an integral part of the New York City jazz scene for more than 15 years. One of the first-call sidemen in NYC, he has worked with the New York Nonet, Dan Willis Sextet, Chris Tarry Quintet, Lindsey Horner Quartet and Dave Pietro's group. He currently leads an exciting new group of jazz artists on his latest CD, "Most Folks," which was released on Omnitone Records in May of 2006. His previous recordings, "Parable" and "You Remind Me of Someone," were released by Palmetto Records and widely praised by jazz critics.

McCann earned a bachelor of music degree at the University of North Texas, where he held the Ed Casias Memorial Scholarship for three years. He now teaches at The New School and City College in New York.

Saxophonist Mills joined the Denison faculty in 1999. A native of Toronto, he earned a bachelor of music degree at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester and a master's degree at the University of North Texas. He has received grants from the Canada Council and the Jazz Composer's Fellowship from the North Carolina Arts Council. Mills is an active clinician teaching workshops on improvisation, ensemble skills and practice techniques at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, the Brandon (Manitoba, Canada) Jazz Festival, and the Ohio Music Educator's Association Conference among others. He has served on the faculty of East Carolina University, Kenyon College and Ohio State.

A frequent performer with the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, Mills was the featured guest performer with the Tony Monaco Trio at the 2005 Toronto Jazz Festival and has played both the Columbus and Newark jazz festivals locally. In addition to the upcoming "Fresh Spin" CD, Mills 2004 release "Art and Architecture," received a four star review from Scott Yanow in All Music Guide and was on the Jazzweek Top 50 radio chart for six weeks. His first solo release was "Momentum" on COJAZZ Records in 1998.

Calendar Listing:

CALENDAR LISTING: Denison University, Granville -- Jazz Weekend Events: Open masterclass/rehearsal, 1 to 3 p.m., Saturday (March 31), Burke Rehearsal Hall; Pete Mills Band with jazz guitarist Pete McCann as featured guest artist, 8 p.m., Saturday (March 31), Burke Recital Hall; Denison Jazz Ensemble with jazz guitarist Pete McCann as featured guest artist, 3 p.m., Sunday (April 1), Burke Recital Hall (240 West Broadway). All events are free and open to the public. Call 740-587-6220 to confirm information.

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

For press inquiries:

Name

Barbara Stambaugh

Position Title

Director, Media Relations

Primary Email

stambaughb@denison.edu

Business Phone

(740) 587-8575