The Arts Magnet High School at Booker T. Washington in Dallas, Texas has come a long way since opening its doors in 1976. In its eight year history A.M.H.S. has produced four jazz albums which included primarily original student compositions and arrangements featuring the Lab Band, Combo and Lab Singers. As a result the 1981-82 album was privileged to win Best Jazz Ensemble, Best Arrangement and Outstanding Performance awards for the drummer and another arranger in the Down Beat Magazine Dee Bee awards for 1983. The winners were selected from a pool of approximately 4000 entries from throughout the United States and Canada. This year the Department has again been fortunate to recieve another Dee Bee Honor, the award for Outstanding Performance by trombonist, Joe Jackson.

There have been many performances during the 1983-84 school year by the jazz ensembles highlighted by such events as the opening of the new Dallas Museum of Art; a concert at the Fairmont Hotel with internationally known jazz guitarist, Joe Pass; the Mountain View Community College Jazz Festival, (for which they were chosen outstanding Jazz Ensemble); the Cultural Heritage Music Festival held in Mexico City, where they were awarded the Adjudicators Trophy (signifying they ranked in the top 10% of all bands those clinicians had ever adjudicated!); and the annual University of Texas at Arlington Jazz Festival, where they were critiqued by internationally known Canadian arranger, Rob McConnell.

There are plans on the horizon for beginning an annual Jazz Festival featuring nationally acclaimed jazz artists and clinicians.

Another dream is the hosting of a summer jazz camp to instruct students from the surrounding communities in an intense two-week session. Also, on the drawing board is the initiation of a jazz publishing company as an outlet for the fine student arrangements and compositions that have come out of A.M.H.S. environment.

The undertaking of so many ambitious performances and projects has been and will continue to be a result of having an administration with foresight and imagination that has given the jazz program the support and freedom it needed to develop and expand. Under the able direction of principal, Dr. James O. Gray and Music Coordinator, Dr. Douglas T. Cornell, the A.M.H.S. Music Cluster encompasses the total music scene and encourages the development of comprehensive musicianship in the music students. Jazz was seen from the outset of the program as an integral part of the music curriculum developing skills in arranging, performance and techniques of improvisation.

After listening to the "students" on this album I'm sure you will agree that the A.M.H.S. "works" for all of us who are affiliated with the outstanding educational instruction.

Bart Marantz, Director of Jazz Studies
Arts Magnet High School at Booker T. Washington

A.M.H.S. Administration 1983-84
Dr. James O. Gray, Principal
Ms. Martha Jackson, Dean of Instruction
Dr. Douglas T. Cornell, Coordinator of Music

Music Faculty 1983-84
Bart Marantz - Jazz Studies
Luis Martinez - Wind Ensembles
Frances Schultz - Orchestra
Richard Bryan and Antony Jackson - Choral
Nina Johnson - Jazz Vocal / Choral
Les Gay - Comprehensive Musicianship
Celia Bennett - Piano
Betty Farmer - Piano
Rebecca Keister - Piano / Organ
Charles Pangburn - Guitar
Rick Latham and Warren White - Percussion
Robert Price - Theory / Clarinet
Dwight Shambley - String Bass / Chamber Music
Sho-Mei Pelletier - Violin / Chamber Music
David Schultz - Viola / Chamber Music
Mary Bell - Voice
Kim Korbut - Trombone
David Lee Schloss - Saxaphone
Davina Smith - Flute

About The Arrangers

Lesley Ellsworth is a 1984 A.M.H.S. graduate and plans to pursue further study in voice and piano in college. She has arranged for combo and lab band.

Joe Jackson, our fine trombonist, is a graduating senior and plans to study at North Texas State University. Joe was selected for the prestigious Texas All State Jazz Ensemble in 1983 and 1984. He has also received many honors for his solo playing including outstanding soloist at three jazz festivals: the Univ. of Texas at Arlington, Mountain View Community College and the Dallas Music Educators Festival. He also received an Outstanding Performer award from down beat Magazine Dee Bee Awards for 1984.

Billie Kunik is a 1984 graduate and plans to move to Egypt with her mother this summer. She will have a rare opportunity to study music on the other side of the world. Billie has arranged for both combo and lab band.

Danny O'Brien played lead trumpet in our combo and lab band and has arranged music for both ensembles this year. He will return to Arts Magnet next fall as a senior. Danny was a member of the Texas All State Jazz Ensemble for 1984 and received an outstanding trumpet soloist award at the annual Mountain View Community College Jazz festival.

Paul Simon is a graduating senior and will pursue a career with the military as featured jazz guitarist with the Army Jazz Band. he was accepted into this position after extensive testing and auditioning. Paul has composed and arranged for our combo.

Steve Taylor is a junior and plans to return to A.M.H.S. for his senior year. He enjoys arranging and will add to his collection of charts this summer. Steve is a voice major and has arranged for our combo.

Eric White is a junior percussion major and will be attending a special summer session at Berklee School of Music on scholarship in Boston, Mass. Eric has been a prolific arranger for both the lab band and the combo and won the AMHS Outstanding Arrangement Award for 1984 for "It Don't Mean A Thing."

Michael Tyler graduated from the Arts Magnet one year ago in 1983 and now attends the University of Kansas as a trumpet and jazz education major. He was a member of the 1983 Texas All State Jazz Ensemble and his arrangement of "Impressions" won the AMHS Outstanding Arrangement Award for 1983.