Buselli–Wallarab Jazz Orchestra

Buselli–Wallarab Jazz Orchestra

BRENT WALLARAB

Since 1991, Brent Wallarab has served as Specialist in Jazz for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. During this time he has transcribed, edited, and restored nearly 300 works for big band deemed by the Smithsonian as national treasures. Wallarab also performs as lead and solo trombonist for the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, the jazz ensemble-in-residence of the National Museum of American History, a position he has held since the inception of the orchestra in 1991.

Wallarab is an internationally recognized arranger, composer, scholar, and performer, having recently toured Northern Italy and South Africa, conducting master classes, workshops, and performances.

As an arranger, Wallarab is featured on dozens of recordings and has had written for many artists including Wynton Marsalis, The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Bobby Short, The New York Pops Orchestra, The Chicago Jazz Ensemble, Charlie Haden, Med Flory, Randy Brecker, Joe Lovano, and many others. He is widely published and many of his works are performed regularly by professional big bands and University music programs worldwide.

In 1994, Wallarab, along with Mark Buselli, founded the Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra, a professional jazz ensemble based in Indianapolis, Indiana, dedicated to the creation of new works for jazz orchestra and developing programs for jazz education.

Wallarab currently teaches jazz ensemble and jazz arranging at the Indiana University School of Music (Bloomington, Indiana) and is sponsored as an endorsing performing artist by King Trombones, a subsidiary of Conn-Selmer, Inc..

MARK BUSELLI

Mark is director of Jazz Studies at Butler University in Indianapolis. On a recent tour to St. Petersburg Russia he was the first American jazz musician to play on the same stage that Tchaikovsky premiered his Nutcracker Suite.

Some awards include a Creative Renewal grant from the Indianapolis Arts Council in 2005 and a teacher of the year in 2004 at Butler University.

Buselli has over forty arrangements published for big bands and has six recordings out as a leader. As a writer, Mr. Buselli has been commissioned by the American Pianists Association, The Indianapolis Brass ensemble and Western Michigan University.

He has performed with artists such as Bobby McFerrin, Slide Hampton, Slam Stewart, Natalie Cole, Vic Damone and Ben Vereen. He has played for former presidents Jimmy Carter, George H. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush.

Buselli currently serves as Education Director of the Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra in Indianapolis where he has created numerous educational opportunities for over six thousand students. He is sponsored as an endorsing performing artist by Conn-Selmer, Inc. He resides in Indianapolis with wife Andrea and daughter Sophia.

The Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra signed with Owl studios in 2006.

Discography

Happenstance 2001
Heart & Soul: The Music of Hoagy Carmichael 2003
Carol of the Bells 2007
Basically Baker 2007

External Sources

• http://www.owlstudios.com
  
• http://www.bwjo.org