Oxford University Jazz Orchestra
Encyclopedia
Oxford University Jazz Orchestra or OUJO is an award-winning jazz orchestra
based in the University of Oxford
, England
. OUJO is one of the three official intercollegiate jazz ensembles of Oxford, alongside the Oxford University Big Band
and The Donut Kings. Founded in 1991 it is the longest-running ensemble of its type in the university.
, initially as a word-of-mouth, unauditioned group, and later developing into a full-fledged, professional standard big band. Notable alumni from the band include Canadian jazz vocalist Diane Nalini, trumpeter and NYJO musical director Mark Armstrong, saxophonists Carlos Lopez Real and Idris Rahman, and ENO
conductor Steve Higgins
OUJO has been a multiple-time winner at the BBC Big Band Competition , off the back of which it has performed at the Oeuf de Jazz Festival in Le Mans
, the OK!
Celebrity Ball in London
, and at the Bull's Head jazz venue in Barnes
, west London.
In 2002, OUJO recorded the live LP Know Where You Are. The album featured special guest saxophonist Peter King
.
In recent years, OUJO has performed at the Glasgow International Jazz Festival
and performed jazz legend Kenny Wheeler
's Sweet Time Suite at St Barnabas Church, Oxford
, earning the praise of the composer. The band has also run open jazz workshops for University students.
, having shared stages with major recording artists such as The Streets
and Sophie Ellis-Bextor
.. The band represents Oxford annually in a Varsity ‘jazzoff’ match against the Cambridge University Jazz Orchestra
, its Cambridge equivalent. The group plays a musically diverse repertoire ranging from big band swing classics to contemporary and original compositions, as well as new arrangements of popular songs.
In 2010 OUJO went on tour to New York City
, performing at multiple venues including a performance for the Hudson Union Society at the Russian Tea Room and as part of the "After Work" series in Bryant Park
.
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
based in the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. OUJO is one of the three official intercollegiate jazz ensembles of Oxford, alongside the Oxford University Big Band
Oxford University Big Band
The Oxford University Big Band or OUBB is the oldest big band at the University of Oxford, England. The ensemble is part of and was founded in 1961, by Peter Hartley and Bill Ashton OBE who later founded and was the first musical director of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, NYJO...
and The Donut Kings. Founded in 1991 it is the longest-running ensemble of its type in the university.
History
The Oxford University Jazz Orchestra was founded by students in the early 1990s1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
, initially as a word-of-mouth, unauditioned group, and later developing into a full-fledged, professional standard big band. Notable alumni from the band include Canadian jazz vocalist Diane Nalini, trumpeter and NYJO musical director Mark Armstrong, saxophonists Carlos Lopez Real and Idris Rahman, and ENO
English National Opera
English National Opera is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St. Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with the Royal Opera, Covent Garden...
conductor Steve Higgins
OUJO has been a multiple-time winner at the BBC Big Band Competition , off the back of which it has performed at the Oeuf de Jazz Festival in Le Mans
Le Mans
Le Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
, the OK!
OK!
OK! is a British weekly magazine specializing in celebrity news. Originally launched as a monthly, its first issue was published in April 1993. In September 2004, OK! publishers Northern and Shell launched in Australia as a monthly title – the magazine went weekly in October 2006...
Celebrity Ball in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and at the Bull's Head jazz venue in Barnes
Barnes
Barnes is a riverside London suburb in southwest London and in terms of local governance falls under the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is located around west south-west of Charing Cross in a loop of the River Thames, with Hammersmith Bridge at the north end...
, west London.
In 2002, OUJO recorded the live LP Know Where You Are. The album featured special guest saxophonist Peter King
Peter King (saxophonist)
Peter John King is an English jazz saxophonist, composer, and clarinettist.- Early life :Peter King was born in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, on August 11, 1940. He took up the clarinet and saxophone as a teenager, entirely self taught...
.
In recent years, OUJO has performed at the Glasgow International Jazz Festival
Glasgow International Jazz Festival
Glasgow International Jazz Festival is a jazz festival in Glasgow, Scotland.-Main Festival:One of the biggest jazz festivals in Europe, the Glasgow International Jazz Festival is held annually in June in the Merchant City area of Glasgow...
and performed jazz legend Kenny Wheeler
Kenny Wheeler
Kenneth Vincent John Wheeler, OC is a Canadian composer and trumpet and flugelhorn player, based in the U.K. since the 1950s....
's Sweet Time Suite at St Barnabas Church, Oxford
St Barnabas Church, Oxford
St Barnabas Church is a Church of England parish church in Jericho, central Oxford, England, located close to Oxford Canal.The church was founded by Thomas Combe, Superintendent of the Oxford University Press close to the church, and his wife Martha. They were followers of the Oxford Movement...
, earning the praise of the composer. The band has also run open jazz workshops for University students.
Present activity
OUJO performs regularly on the Oxford ball circuit, including at the famous Commemoration ballsCommemoration ball
A Commemoration ball is a formal ball held by one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in the 9th week of Trinity Term, the week after the end of the last Full Term of the academic year, which known as "Commemoration Week"...
, having shared stages with major recording artists such as The Streets
The Streets
The Streets were a British rap/garage project from Birmingham, United Kingdom, led by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mike Skinner and has included a myriad of other contributors most notably drummer Johnny Drum Machine, vocalist Kevin Mark Trail and the Italian-American beatmaker Leroy.The...
and Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor is an English singer, songwriter, model and occasional DJ. She first came to prominence in the late 1990s, as the lead singer of the indie rock band Theaudience. After the group disbanded, Ellis-Bextor went solo, achieving widespread success in the early 2000s...
.. The band represents Oxford annually in a Varsity ‘jazzoff’ match against the Cambridge University Jazz Orchestra
Cambridge University Jazz Orchestra
The Cambridge University Jazz Orchestra or CUJO is Cambridge University's premier jazz ensemble, bringing together the best jazz musicians in the university...
, its Cambridge equivalent. The group plays a musically diverse repertoire ranging from big band swing classics to contemporary and original compositions, as well as new arrangements of popular songs.
In 2010 OUJO went on tour to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, performing at multiple venues including a performance for the Hudson Union Society at the Russian Tea Room and as part of the "After Work" series in Bryant Park
Bryant Park
Bryant Park is a 9.603 acre privately managed public park located in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is located between Fifth and Sixth Avenues and between 40th and 42nd Streets in Midtown Manhattan...
.