''Monstrosity!'' is the final LP Vinyl album release by the

California State University, Los Angeles California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) is a public research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is part of the California State University system. Cal State LA offers 142 bachelor's degree programs, 122 m ...

Jazz Ensemble before recording on digital/CD format in 1990. In addition to the big band, the LP featured the

CSULA California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) is a public research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is part of the California State University system. Cal State LA offers 142 bachelor's degree programs, 122 m ...

Jazz QuintetThe CSULA Jazz Quintet 1988: Luis Bonilla (leader-trombone), Albert Balderez (trumpet), José Arellano (piano), Ruben Ramos (bass), Vinnie Dublino (drums) which won the Pacific Coast Collegiate Jazz Festival Combo division for 1988.

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

jazz critic

Zan Stewart Zan Stewart (born March 29, 1944) is an American jazz writer, musician and former disc jockey. Life and career Born in Los Angeles, California, Stewart is the son of Cassius Lynford Stewart (1907–1997) and Elizabeth LeGrange Wilbur Stewart (19 ...

gave the recording four of five stars in his May 1989 review.New jazz LP reviews. Stewart, Zan. The Los Angeles Times ''Jazz Notes, May 10, 1989''
/ref> The jazz band had numerous student musicians that have made a name for themselves as professionals including Sharon Hirata,

Luis Bonilla Luis Diego Bonilla (October 12, 1965) is an American jazz trombonist of Costa Rican descent. He is also a producer, composer, and educator. Biography Early life, musical education and influences Luis Bonilla was born and raised in Eagle Rock, ...

, Jack Cooper, Charlie Richard, Corey Gemme,

Eric "Bobo" Correa Eric "Bobo" Correa (born August 27, 1968) is an American percussionist and a member of the hip hop bands Beastie Boys, then Cypress Hill and Ritmo Machine as well as the Industrial metal band Sol Invicto. He performed and recorded with the B ...

, Vince Dublino, Alan Parr, Paul De Castro, Alex Henderson, Gary Smith and José Arellano.

Background

In 1984 and 1985, the California State University, Los Angeles Music Department, and CSULA Associated Students decided to fund LP recordings of the jazz ensemble to better serve as a teaching tool for student music jazz groups. ''Monstrosity'' is the fourth of six albums to come from

during the 1980s featuring the award-winning CSULA #1 Jazz Ensemble. The LP contains tracks from the #1 CSULA Jazz Ensemble to include compositions of four students and from the director (professo
David Caffey
. The qualities of the LP that set it apart from numerous university jazz records of that era is the fact it was entirely written, composed, and copied (music also professionally copied by student Sharon Hirata)Note: Sharon Hirata was paying for school tuition from income as a freelance music copyist and working on T.V. shows such as ''

The Dukes of Hazzard ''The Dukes of Hazzard'' is an American action comedy television series created by Gy Waldron that aired on CBS from January 26, 1979, to February 8, 1985, with a total of seven seasons consisting of List of The Dukes of Hazzard episodes, 147 ...

'' and other

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

productions before the time of computer generated music engraving. by the students and faculty of CSULA at a higher level than was usual of students at that time; also this being the fourth LP in a row CSULA had done this.''Monstrosity!'' liner notes, Cal State L.A. Jazz Ensemble LP. 1988. There has been a consistent tradition of musicians coming from the CSULA program who have worked with major musical acts, on major studio and movie projects, and hold positions in higher education in music. The roster on this album is self-evident as to the diversity and level of student musicians CSULA developed at that time and has for many years dating far back to musicians (graduates) such as

Lennie Niehaus Leonard Niehaus (June 1, 1929 – May 28, 2020) was an American alto saxophonist, composer and arranger on the West Coast jazz scene. He played with the Stan Kenton, Stan Kenton Orchestra and served as one of Kenton's primary staff arrangers. He ...

and

Gabe Baltazar Gabriel Ruiz Hiroshi Baltazar Jr. (November 1, 1929 – June 12, 2022) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and woodwind doubler. Background and early years Gabriel Ruiz Hiroshi Baltazar Jr. was born in Hilo, Hawaii on November 1, 1929. His ...

Track listing

Recording sessions

* Recorded: May 22, 28 and June 4, 198
Sage and Sound Recording

Hollywood, California Hollywood, sometimes informally called Tinseltown, is a List of districts and neighborhoods in Los Angeles, neighborhood and district in the Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles County, California, within the city of Los Angeles. ...

* Mixing: September 1 and October 1, 198
Sage and Sound Recording

Personnel

Musicians

*Conductor: David Caffey *Saxes and woodwinds: Sharon Hirata, David Quillen, Jack Cooper, Scott Ackerman, Randall Willis *Trumpets and flugelhorns: Barry Parr, Alan Parr, Corey Gemme, Albert Balderas, Chris Mauger *Trombones: Gary Smith,

, José Arellano, Alex Henderson *Piano: Paul De Castro *Vibraphone and marimba: Cory Estrada *Bass: Ruben Ramos *Drums: Vince Dublino and Marc Guité *Percussion:

Production

*Recording engineers: Jim Mooney and Jerry Wood *Mixing engineers: Jim Mooney and David Caffey *Mastering: David Travis, KM Recording Services *Cover photo: Stan Carstenson, CSULA Creative Media Services *Jacket design: Scott Ackerman, Sandra Fuentes, David McNutt, CSULA Creative Media Services

Reception

"(Monstrosity!) finds the first-rate Cal State Los Angeles Jazz Ensemble tearing through a handful of vital originals--Jose Arellano's title track and director David Caffey's "Samba de Linda" among them and a couple of Woody Shaw cookers. Solid solos from the likes of saxophonists Sharon Hirata and Randall Willis and trombonists Luis Bonilla and Gary Smith abound..."

:—

, ''

The Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper in the U.S. and the larges ...

References

External links

''Monstrosity!''
at

Allmusic Guide AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...

* {{Authority control 1988 albums California State University, Los Angeles Jazz Ensemble albums