Music of Ken Schaphorst

Ken Schaphorst, a founding member of the Jazz Composers Alliance and New England Conservatory's chair of jazz studies, leads an all-star octet in a program of his own compositions, plus a Thelonious Monk arrangement.

When Naxos released Schaphorst's album Purple, Jazz Times described it as "Not to be missed!" In a concert here last year, the NEC Jazz Orchestra explored some of this large-scale music in concert.

Now, we turn to a different page in Schaphorst's work as a composer: his chamber music, and works written for a new octet that consists of the composer on flugelhorn; Allan Chase, alto and soprano saxophones; Jorrit Dijkstra, alto saxophone; Jerry Bergonzi, tenor saxophone; Daniel Ian Smith, baritone saxophone; Dave Harris, trombone; John Lockwood, bass; and Yoron Israel, drums. In addition to the originals by Schaphorst, the octet will play his new arrangement of Thelonious Monk's "Reflections."

This is music you can't even find on recording yet, so don't miss this chance to hear new work from a veteran jazz composer!

Watery Echoes
performed by
Benjamin Woo, piano

Hauntings for Cello and Piano
performed by
Emileigh Brooke Vandiver, cello
Emely Phelps, piano

works by Ken Schaphorst for jazz octet:
Two Street
There’ll Be Some Changes Made
Take Back the Country
Things Ain’t What I Thought They’d Be
I See You
Bole Road

Thelonious Monk, arr. Ken Schaphorst
Reflections