One O’Clock Lab Band
University of North Texas Jazz Studies Program
The One O’Clock Lab Band is the flagship and premier performing ensemble of the internationally acclaimed University of North Texas jazz studies program. Neil Slater, Professor Emeritus, served as director of the One O’Clock and Chairman of Jazz Studies for 27 years, from 1981-2008. Steve Wiest, Grammy-nominated composer and arranger, succeeded Slater in his position as director of the One O’Clock Lab Band. With an unprecedented six Grammy nominations from the library of over fifty critically acclaimed Lab Band recordings to date, the One O’Clock Lab Band is noted for exceptional individual musicianship and tight ensemble performance. One O’Clock Lab Band concerts feature works by major jazz composers/arrangers, new compositions by current and former students, and selections from the Stan Kenton and Maynard Ferguson libraries (both housed exclusively at North Texas).
The One O’Clock Lab Band has toured nationally and internationally over the decades, appearing throughout Europe, Australia, Russia, Mexico, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, and Thailand (performing by special invitation for, and with, the King of Thailand). The band has performed at the major European jazz festivals including Cork/Guinness, Montreux, Pori, Vienne, North Sea, and Umbria; and by Presidential invitation at the White House, joined on stage by Duke Ellington and Stan Getz. The One O’Clock frequently appears in major jazz venues such as Birdland (NYC), Blues Alley (DC), Catalina’s (LA); and as the headliner at jazz festivals, major music conferences, and concerts hosted by fine arts series and colleges around the world.
Alumni of the North Texas jazz program are woven through the professional music industry as performing artists and educators, and include distinguished jazz artists too numerous to name. According to Clark Terry, “When a guy walks in and says he graduated from North Texas and played in the One O’Clock Lab Band – – well, they just don’t have to say any more.”
North Texas traditionally brings a series of major jazz figures to campus each year to perform and interact with students. The remarkable list of legendary jazz artists (performers, composers, and scholars) who have shared their music and experience with North Texas students and faculty is a key element in the success of the North Texas jazz program.
The jazz degree program at the University of North Texas began in 1947 under Dr. Gene Hall, and gained international renown under Dr. Leon Breeden and Neil Slater. The UNT jazz faculty, currently chaired by Dr. John Murphy, is the foundation of the division of jazz studies. Thirteen full-time faculty members provide UNT jazz studies students with an educational environment unparalleled among university programs.
UNT Jazz Studies Program: http://jazz.unt.edu/
UNT One O’Clock Lab Band: http://jazz.unt.edu/oneoclock/
UNT One O’Clock Lab Band Recordings: https://store.music.unt.edu