Steve Wiest ''(né'' John Stephen Wiest; born 1957) is an American

trombonist The trombone (, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's lips vibrate inside a mouthpiece, causing the air column inside the instrument to ...

, composer, arranger,

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...

director, music educator at the collegiate level, jazz clinician, author, and illustrator/cartoonist. From 1981 to 1985, he was a featured trombonist and arranger with the Maynard Ferguson Band. Wiest is in his year as Associate Professor of Jazz Studies and Commercial Music at the

University of Denver The University of Denver (DU) is a private research university in Denver, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1864, it has an enrollment of approximately 5,700 undergraduate students and 7,200 graduate students. It is classified among "R1: D ...

Lamont School of Music. He is the Coordinator of the 21st Century Music Initiative at the school. Wiest has been a professor for of the years that he has been a professional trombonist, composer, and arranger. From 2007 to 2014, Wiest was Associate Professor of Music in Jazz Studies at the

University of North Texas College of Music The University of North Texas College of Music, based in Denton, is a comprehensive music school among the largest enrollment of any music institution accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. It developed the first jazz studies ...

and, from March 2009 to August 2014, he was director of the One O'Clock Lab Band and coordinator of the Lab Band program. At North Texas, Wiest also taught conducting, trombone, and oversaw The U-Tubes — the College of Music's jazz trombone band. Wiest is a three-time Grammy nominee — individually in 2008 for Best instrumental Arrangement and in 2010 for

Best Instrumental Composition The Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition (including its previous names) has been awarded since 1960. The award is presented to the composer of an original piece of music (not an adaptation), first released during the eligibility year. I ...

, and collaboratively in 2010 for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album, which he directed. As of 2013, Wiest has in excess of 58 arrangements and compositions to his credit, which include 10 original compositions from his current project ''( see 2013–2014 project below).''

Career

After attending Hattiesburg High School, in

Hattiesburg, Mississippi Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, located primarily in Forrest County, Mississippi, Forrest County (where it is the county seat and most populous city) and extending west into Lamar County, Mississippi, Lamar County. The ci ...

, Wiest completed a bachelor's degree in Jazz Studies at the University of Southern Mississippi, mentored by Raoul F. Jerome. After graduation, he joined the band of Maynard Ferguson as a featured trombonist and one of two arrangers, touring five to seven months a year from 1981 to 1985. In 1985, Wiest began graduate school at the

University of North Texas The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public university, public research university located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Its main campus is in Denton, Texas, Denton, with a satellite campus in Frisco, Texas, Frisco. It serves as the ...

, earning a master's degree in Jazz Studies in 1988. While there, he played lead trombone in the One O'Clock Lab Band, which toured Australia in 1986 and produced one live album, and four studio albums. Three of his compositions and one arrangement were recorded on ''Lab '86, Lab '87, and Lab '88'', and another composition was recorded on ''Lab '89'', after he graduated. As a grad student, Wiest directed the Nine O'Clock Lab Band (1985–1986), served as an arranging TA for Paris Rutherford (1986–1987), and directed the Three O'Clock Lab Band (1987–1988). Wiest studied trombone with Vern L. Kagarice, DMA. Independently, Wiest also studied trombone with Jay Friedman of the Chicago Symphony. From 1988 to 1990, Wiest served as Assistant Director of Jazz Studies at the

University of Texas at Arlington The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA or UT Arlington) is a public research university in Arlington, Texas, United States. It is the second oldest university in the University of Texas System and was founded in 1895. It was in the Texas A& ...

, where, among other things, he ran the UTA Improvisation Camp and directed the Small Jazz Group Program. For 17 years, from 1990 to 2007, Wiest was the Director of Jazz Studies and Trombone Performance at

University of Wisconsin–Whitewater The University of Wisconsin–Whitewater (UW–Whitewater or UWW) is a public university in Whitewater, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the University of Wisconsin System. As of Fall 2024, the university offers 47 undergraduate majors ...

, directing jazz ensembles, which included a standard modern

and the university's premier jazz band: an

Art Blakey Arthur Blakey (October 11, 1919 – October 16, 1990) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He was also known as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina after he converted to Islam for a short time in the late 1940s. Blakey made a name for himself in the 1 ...

-style small group called The Jazz Symposium. He taught improvisation, music history, arranging, and classical trombone. For a number of years, Wiest was a member of the Faculty Brass Quintet Establishing a small group, rather than a big band, as the premier jazz ensemble and intensified advanced music laboratory was a pedagogical innovation of Wiest. The Jazz Symposium produced two

CDs CDS, CDs, Cds, etc. may refer to: Finance * Canadian Depository for Securities, Canadian post-trade financial services company * Certificate of deposit (CDs) * Counterfeit Deterrence System, developed by the Central Bank Counterfeit Deterrence ...

, one featuring guest artist

Ernie Watts Ernest James Watts (born October 23, 1945) is an American jazz and R&B saxophonist who plays soprano, alto, and tenor saxophone. He has worked with Charlie Haden's Quartet West and toured with the Rolling Stones. On Frank Zappa's album '' ...

. Under the direction of Wiest, The Jazz Symposium performed at the

North Sea Jazz Festival The North Sea Jazz Festival is a festival held annually on the second weekend of July in the Netherlands at the Ahoy venue. The festival moved to Rotterdam in 2006 after the demolition of the Statenhal in The Hague where it was originally held. ...

, the

Montreux Jazz Festival The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annu ...

, and

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...

From 1994 to 1999, Wiest was a member of the Doc Severinsen Big Band. In 2006, Wiest reunited with

Maynard Ferguson Walter Maynard Ferguson CM (May 4, 1928 – August 23, 2006) was a Canadian jazz trumpeter and bandleader. He came to prominence in Stan Kenton's orchestra before forming his own big band in 1957. He was noted for his bands, which often served ...

for Ferguson's final series of concerts: 6 nights, 12 sold-out performances at The Blue Note,

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village, or simply the Village, is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street (Manhattan), 14th Street to the north, Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the s ...

. From the fall of 2007 until August 2014, Wiest was at the

as Assistant Professor of Jazz Composition and Jazz Trombone. Wiest founded The U-Tubes, the College's trombone band. In May 2009, Wiest became director of One O'Clock Lab Band and coordinator of the Lab Band Program, after having served as interim director since August 2008. In 2014 Wiest joined the faculty at the

Lamont School of Music as Coordinator of the 21st Century Music Initiative. Since 2016 he has served as Co-Chair of Jazz Studies.

2013–2014 project

In August 2013, Wiest, a sci-fi enthusiast, published a

sci-fi Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

novel, ''The Dover Stone: A Concerto for Folded Space.'' Wiest explains that it is built on inter-connected vignettes or movements that comprise an epic tale of life from other worlds and our place in the

cosmos The cosmos (, ; ) is an alternative name for the universe or its nature or order. Usage of the word ''cosmos'' implies viewing the universe as a complex and orderly system or entity. The cosmos is studied in cosmologya broad discipline covering ...

. The Term "folded space" is a theoretical speed of travel, faster than the speed of light, exceeding relativistic velocity by folding space, bringing far to near, reducing the long distances to a virtual zero. The tale is the impetus for ten compositions by Wiest, who describes the works as " programmatically informed" by the science fiction." The fictional vignettes culminate to answer real-life physicist

Enrico Fermi Enrico Fermi (; 29 September 1901 – 28 November 1954) was an Italian and naturalized American physicist, renowned for being the creator of the world's first artificial nuclear reactor, the Chicago Pile-1, and a member of the Manhattan Project ...

's famous question, "Where is everybody?", a reference to the wonderment of life elsewhere in the universe. The stories occur in periods from 1182 to 2457. The Steve Wiest Eclectic Electric Band will record the compositions as one album titled, ''Concerto for Folded Space.'' Wiest's compositional style ranges from straight ahead to

jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as jazz rock, jazz-rock fusion, or simply fusion) is a popular music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric gui ...

, and sometimes

pop-rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...

. With this project, Wiest is experimenting with

serialism In music, serialism is a method of composition using series of pitches, rhythms, dynamics, timbres or other musical elements. Serialism began primarily with Arnold Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique, though some of his contemporaries were also ...

, not in a strict sense, but many elements are generated from rows. The musical portion is an

ArtistShare ArtistShare is the internet's first commercial crowdfunding website.Crowd-Funding 101: What Every Musician Needs for a Successful Campaign It also operates as a record label and business model for artists which enables them to fund their proje ...

project and is scheduled for release early 2014. The band members are Wiest (composer and trombonist), Stockton Helbing (drums, producer), Braylon Lacy (bass), Ryan Davidson (guitar), Noel Johnston (guitar), and Daniel Pardo (flute). Guest artist are

Bob Mintzer Robert Alan Mintzer (born January 27, 1953) is an American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, and big band leader. Early life Mintzer was born and raised in a Jewish family in New Rochelle, New York, on January 27, 1953. He attended the Inte ...

(tenor sax), Arlington Jones ''(né'' Arlington Julius Jones II) (piano), and

James Pankow James Carter Pankow (born August 20, 1947) is an American trombone player, songwriter, and brass instrument arranger who is a founding member of the rock band Chicago. He is best known for his brass arrangements, and for being one-third of Chi ...

(trombone). Essentially,

is the record label and represents Wiest's foray into an alternative model for producing music.

is a fan-funded platform where artists provide content for patrons who subscribe to access levels of their choosing. For example, on November 6, 2013, Wiest uploaded one in a series of "cool stuff", as he phrased it, to the ''Participant Zone'' of his

''Concerto for Folded Space'' site. The "cool stuff" included a " programmatic" analysis and complete score for "The Flutes of Glastonbury", one of the ten compositions. Other sci-fi inspired compositions Other

-related works composed by Wiest include "Ice-Nine", a 2009 composition scored for big band, drawn from

Kurt Vonnegut Kurt Vonnegut ( ; November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American author known for his Satire, satirical and darkly humorous novels. His published work includes fourteen novels, three short-story collections, five plays, and five nonfict ...

's novel, ''

Cat's Cradle ''Cat's Cradle'' is a satirical postmodern novel, with science fiction elements, by American writer Kurt Vonnegut. Vonnegut's fourth novel, it was first published on March 18, 1963, exploring and satirizing issues of science, technology, the p ...

.'' "New Cydoinia", a 2010 big-band arrangement, is a programmatic representation of all of the theories and stories surrounding the enigmatic area on

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is also known as the "Red Planet", because of its orange-red appearance. Mars is a desert-like rocky planet with a tenuous carbon dioxide () atmosphere. At the average surface level the atmosph ...

known as Cydonia. "A Night in Pidruid", a 2006 composition scored for big band, is a programmatic and thematic development of characters and events in

Robert Silverberg Robert Silverberg (born January 15, 1935) is a prolific American science fiction author and editor. He is a multiple winner of both Hugo Award, Hugo and Nebula Awards, a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, and a SFWA Grand ...

's ''

Lord Valentine's Castle ''Lord Valentine's Castle'' is a novel by Robert Silverberg published in 1980. Plot summary Lord Valentine liberates the planet of Majipoor from tyrannical rule and helps establish a new legitimate government. Reception ''Lord Valentine's Cas ...

.'' "Blues From Space", a 1984 composition scored for big band, is a novelty tune about an alien who brings a philosophy of "Sing the Blues" to Earth.

Trombone manufacturer artist affiliations

* Griego Mouthpieces — Wiest uses a Griego Artist Series trombone mouthpiece designed for him called the Griego-Wiest SW Model; the mouthpiece was commercially introduced April 2013 * Edwards Trombones — Wiest performs on an Edwards trombone, called the "Excalibur", which was exclusively designed for him by Elias Christan Griego of Edwards Instruments *: ''For more information on Edwards Trombones, see

Getzen The Getzen Company is a family-owned manufacturer and wholesaler of brass instruments. The present product portfolio consists of trumpets, cornets, flugelhorns, trombones, and a baritone horn. Four generations of the Getzen family have participate ...

Professional affiliations

* 1982 — Wiest became a member of

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...

while composing and arranging for Maynard Ferguson; after a hiatus, he rejoined in 2009

Awards and recognition

Academic * 1985–1986: Bill Stapleton Jazz Arranging Scholarship,

* 1986–1987: M.E. "Gene" Hall Jazz Scholarship,

Professional * January 2007: Wisconsin Arts Board Fellowship Award * 2010: ASCAP Plus Award, for creative contributions to American music during the year * Grammy nominations: **2008: Best Instrumental Arrangement - for ''"Besame Mucho"'' from ''The One and Only'' **2010: Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album - for "''Lab 2009"'' by One O'Clock Lab Band;

- for ''"Ice-Nine"''

Personal life

Wiest lives in Chicago, Illinois with his fiancé Deborah Lamberty. He has three children from previous marriages - a daughter, Amber with Pam Sonmor Wintz, and two sons, Matthew and David with Carmen Smith. His father, John Thomas Wiest (1932–2006) was a trombonist and his mother, Wanda Jean Smith Stegall (1934-2016) was a special education teacher. Wiest has three siblings, Jeanne Stegall-Keene, Robert Wiest and Andrew Wiest, a professor of history at the

University of Southern Mississippi The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bac ...

. His cousin, Nick Drozdoff, is a jazz trumpeter and music educator based in the Chicago area who also played with

in the 1980s.

Works

Selected sessionography and discography

As leader * Steve Wiest Big Band
''Excalibur''
Recorded in Chicago, August 5, 6 & 19, 2005

Arabesque The arabesque is a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils" or plain lines, often combined with other elements. Another definition is "Foliate ...

AJO180 (2006); * Quintet
''Out of the New''

AJ0189 (2008
(sample video)
*: Wiest (trombone); Stefan Karlsson (piano),

Lynn Seaton Lynn Seaton (born July 18, 1957 in Tulsa, Oklahoma) is a jazz double bass, bassist associated with bebop and Swing music, swing. He has appeared on over 125 albums, including ''Nirvana (Pizzarelli album), Nirvana'' by Bucky Pizzarelli, and the G ...

(bass), Ed Soph (drums), and Fred Hamilton ''(né'' Frederick E. Hamilton) (guitar) * The Steve Wiest Eclectic Electric Band
''Concerto for Folded Space''

(scheduled release, early 2014)Note: ArtistShare® is a trademark of

Brian Camelio Brian Louis Camelio is an American record producer, musician, entrepreneur, founder of ArtistShareBob Grossweiner, Jane CohenIndustry Profile: Brian Camelio Celebrity Access, February 29, 2008. Consulted on October 9, 2011 Fred KaplanMUSIC; D.I.Y. ...

; ArtistShare, Inc., a Delaware corporation *: Stockton Helbing (drums, producer), Braylon Lacy (bass), Ryan Davidson (guitar), Noel Johnston (guitar), Daniel Pardo (flute) *: Featured guests: (i)

(tenor sax), (ii) Arlington Jones ''(né'' Arlington Julius Jones II) (piano), (iii)

(trombone) As director of the One O'Clock Lab Band * ''Lab 2009'' (CD); * ''Lab 2010'' (CD); * ''Lab 2011'' (CD & DVD); * ''Lab 2012'' (CD & DVD); * ''Lab 2013'' (CD); * ''Lab 2014'' (CD) As director of the U-Tubes * ''The U-Tubes'' (2010);
samples
As director of The Jazz Symposium, UW-Whitewater * ''Presenting the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Jazz Symposium'' (1898) *: Tracks 3 & 4 recorded live at the

, June 1996 *: Track 7 recorded live at Irvin L. Young Auditorium, UW-Whitewater, February 1996 *: Tracks 1 & 2, 5 & 6, 8 & 9 recorded in a studio 1996 * ''The best of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Jazz Symposium: 1996–1997'' (1997) As trombonist and arranger with

* ''1982 Playboy Jazz Festival'', Two volumes (video) *: Recorded live from The Hollywood Bowl, June 19 & 20, 1982 *: RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1984); *:

, Stan Mark, Alan Wise, Hobby Freeman (trumpets); Steve Wiest, Cris Braymen (trombones); Nelson Hill (alto sax); Dan Jordan (tenor sax); Denis DiBlasio (bari sax, flute); Ron Pedley (keyboards); Matt Bissonette (bass);

Gregg Bissonette Gregg Bissonette (born June 9, 1959) is an American jazz and rock drummer and vocalist. He is the brother of bassist Matt Bissonette, with whom he frequently collaborates. Bissonette is known for playing and recording many different styles of m ...

(Drums) * ''Storm''
Live, Studio,

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. ...

, June 23 & 24, 1982

Palo Alto Records Palo Alto Records was a jazz record company and label that released most of its discography in the 1980s. The label was founded in 1981 by Jim Benham, who lived in Palo Alto, California. He played trumpet in a big band and was chairman of the Benha ...

(1982); * ''Live From San Francisco''
Recorded at the

Great American Music Hall The Great American Music Hall is a concert hall in San Francisco, California. It is located on O'Farrell Street in the Tenderloin neighborhood on the same block as the Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theatre. It is known for its decorative balconie ...

, San Francisco, May 27, 1983

Palo Alto Palo Alto ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for ) is a charter city in northwestern Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a Sequoia sempervirens, coastal redwood tree known as El Palo Alto. Th ...

PA8077N (1983); * '' Kool Jazz Festival'' (1982)
Recorded live for the

Voice of America Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is an international broadcasting network funded by the federal government of the United States that by law has editorial independence from the government. It is the largest and oldest of the American internation ...

on July 3, 1982

Saratoga Performing Arts Center Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) is a large amphitheatre located in Saratoga Springs, New York, on the grounds of Saratoga Spa State Park. It presents summer performances of classical music, jazz, pop and rock, country, comedy, and dance. I ...

Saratoga Springs, New York Saratoga Springs is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the United States Census 2020, 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the ...

; * ''The One And Only''
Recorded at Bennett Studios,

Englewood, New Jersey Englewood is a city in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Englewood was incorporated as a city by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1899, from portions of Ridgefield Township and the remaining portions of Engle ...

, July 25–30, 2006
Maynard Ferguson Trust (2007); *# " Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone", arranged by Wiest
audio sample
*# " Besame Mucho", arranged by Wiest, Grammy nominee
audio sample
As trombonist with the Frank Mantooth Jazz Orchestra * ''Per-se-vere''
Recorded at Streeterville Studios, Chicago, October 5–7 & 29, 1989
Optimism Records (1987), released by Sea Breeze; * ''Dangerous Precedent''
Recorded at Streeterville Studios, Chicago, December 1991 to December 1992
Sea Breeze (1993); * ''Sophisticated Lady''
Recorded January 23, April 24, December 13 & 14, 1994
Sea Breeze (1995); As trombonist with other artists * Arch Martin ''(né'' Archie Eugene Martin; 1931–2009)
''Jazz In Good Taste'', Janelle (1993)
Recorded in

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...

, July 3 & 4, 1993 * Doc Severinsen and His Big Band
''Swingin' The Blues''
Recorded in Hollywood, February 4 & 5, 1999
Azica Records & Naxos Digital (1999); * Ronnie Bedford & Friends
''QuaDRUMvirate''
Recorded in

Powell, Wyoming Powell () is a city in Park County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 6,419 at the 2020 census. Powell is an All-America City and home to Northwest College. History Powell was incorporated in 1909. Powell was named for John Wesle ...

, October 4, 1999
Progressive PCD-7123; As student trombonist and arranger with the One O'Clock Lab Band * ''With Respect to Stan;'' *: Recorded at Chelsea Sound Studios, New York, 1986 * ''Live in Australia – The 1986 Tour;'' (CD) *: Recorded at the Festival Theatre,

Adelaide, Australia Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

, July 20, 1986 * ''Lab '86;'' *: Recorded at the Dallas Sound Lab,

Irving, Texas Irving is a city in Dallas County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and is an Inner suburb, inner city suburb of Dallas. Irving is noted for its #Demographics, racial and ethnic diver ...

, May 1986 *: Trombonist and composer of "The Miles Files" (1986
(audio from ''Lab '86)''
* ''Lab '87;'' *: Recorded at the Dallas Sound Lab,

, May 17 & 18, 1987 * ''Lab '88;'' *: Recorded at the Dallas Sound Lab,

, May 14 & 15, 1988 *: Trombonist and composer of "On the Edge" (1988
(audio from ''Lab '88,'' trombone solo by Wiest)
As composer and trombonist with other artists * One O'Clock Lab Band
''Lab '89;''
Recorded at the Dallas Sound Lab,

, April 30 & May 1, 1989"With You", composed & arranged by Wiest (as an alumni) * Dan Cavanagh's ''(né'' Daniel M. Cavanagh) Jazz Emporium Big Band
''Pulse'', OA2 Records 22048 (2008); *: Recorded at Crystal Clear Sound Recording Studios,

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, March 2 & 3, 2008 * Stockton Helbing ''(né'' Stockton Thomas Helbing)
''For Nothing is Secret'', Armored Records (2007); *: Recorded in

, December 13–15, 2006

Selected compositions and arrangements

Kendor Music, Inc., distributor :* "Art Appreciation"
A tribute to

Composed & arranged by Wiest
Cojarco Music, Inc. (1998); :* "The Groove", (composed in the style of

)
Commissioned by the Illinois Music Educators Association
1999 All State Jazz Ensemble (1999) :* "Thaditude"
Commissioned by the Jazz Division of the Illinois Music Educators Association
2009 Illinois All State Jazz Ensemble
Doug Beach Music (2009) (

) UNC Jazz Press,

Greeley, Colorado Greeley is the home rule municipality city that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Weld County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 108,795 at the 2020 United States census, an increase of 17.12% since the ...

: From One O'Clock Lab Band albums :# "The Miles Files"(audio from ''Lab '86)''(live in 1997)
(1986) :# "Upside Downside"
Composed by

Mike Stern Mike Stern (born January 10, 1953) is an American jazz guitarist. After playing with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he worked with drummer Billy Cobham, then with trumpeter Miles Davis from 1981 to 1983 and again in 1985. He then began a solo career, re ...

Arranged by Wiest
(recorded on ''Lab '87)'' (1986);
Video sample
DR Big Band, 2007 :# "Night Visions"
Composed & arranged by Wiest
(recorded on ''Lab '87)'' (1987); :# "On the Edge" (1988)(audio from ''Lab '88)''
trombone solo by Wiest :# "With You"
(recorded on ''Lab '89;'' ) (1989) : From UNC Jazz Lab Band 1 albums :# "Second Thought", composed & arranged by Wiest (1998); :# "Gotham City", commissioned by the

University of Northern Colorado The University of Northern Colorado (UNCO or UNC) is a public university in Greeley, Colorado, United States. It was founded in 1889 as the State Normal School of Colorado and has a long history in teacher education. The institution has offi ...

Lab Band I (1991) :# "Another Frame", arranged by Wiest (1998) (composed 1985); : From other projects :* "The Modal House of Hip Hop"
Commissioned by Curt Hanrahan for the Milwaukee Youth Jazz Ensemble (2005) :* "Overview"
Commissioned by Neil E. Hansen, Northwest College (1998) Walrus Music Publishing – trade name for Daniel Franz Beher,

Pismo Beach, California Pismo Beach ( Chumash: ''Pismuʔ'') is a city in the southern portion of San Luis Obispo County, in the Central Coast area of California, United States. Its estimated population was 8,072 at the 2020 census, up from 7,655 in the 2010 census. ...

audio samples
:* "The Fulton Files", commissioned by Jesse Woolery for Denton High School, composed 2012 :* "Don't Give Up Hope"
Dedicated to the victims of the 2011 Tōhoku tsunami :* "It Happened On Cooper Street"
Commissioned by Tim Ishii for the

Composed by Wiest 2012 (

) : From One O'Clock Lab Band albums :# "Spirals" (from ''Lab 2008)'' :# "Ice-Nine
(video from ''Lab 2009)''(live from Birdland, March 10, 2009)
:# "New Cydonia
(video from ''Lab 2010)''
:# "The Last Theme Song
(video from ''Lab 2011)''
:# "Denton Standard Time" (from ''Lab 2013)'' : Written for other North Texas lab bands :# "Puddin' Time"
Composed by Brad Leali ''(née)'' Bradford C Leali
Arranged 2010 by Wiest for the Three O'Clock Lab Band, Brad Leali, director :# "Wes' Side Story" (

Wes Montgomery John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery (March 6, 1923 – June 15, 1968) was an American jazz guitarist. Montgomery was known for his unusual technique of plucking the strings with the side of his thumb and for his extensive use of octaves, which gave him a ...

)
Composed 2010 by Wiest for the Two O'Clock, Jay Saunders, director : From the album, ''Excalibur'' :# "Excalibur", composed by Wiest 2006 :# "The Silver Spin", composed by Wiest 2006 :# "Cerulean 12", composed by Wiest 2006 :# "The Once and Future Groove", composed by Wiest 2006 :# "A Night In Pidruid", composed by Wiest 2006 Maynard Ferguson Publishing and library : Recorded and performed by the Maynard Ferguson Band :# " Besame Mucho
Composed by

Consuelo Velázquez Consuelo Velázquez Torres (August 21, 1916, in Ciudad Guzmán, Jalisco – January 22, 2005, Mexico City), also popularly known as Consuelito Velázquez, was a Mexican concert pianist and composer. She was the composer of famous Mexican balla ...

Sunny Skylar Sunny Skylar (October 11, 1913 – February 2, 2009) was an American music composer, singer, lyricist, and music publisher, often recognized as one of the most prominent songwriters of the Tin Pan Alley era. Sunny Skylar had written over 300 so ...

Arranged by Wiest 2006
(recorded on ''The One and Only;'' ) :# " Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone"
Composed by

Bill Withers William Harrison Withers Jr. (July 4, 1938 – March 30, 2020) was an American singer and songwriter. He is known for having several hits over a career spanning 18 years, including "Ain't No Sunshine" (1971), "Grandma's Hands" (1971), "Use Me ( ...

Arranged by Wiest 2004
(recorded on ''The One and Only;'' ) :# " I Love You"
Composed by

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became Standard (music), standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway the ...

Arranged by Wiest
(recorded on ''Brass Attitude;'' ) :# "

I'm Old Fashioned "I'm Old Fashioned" is a 1942 song composed by Jerome Kern, with lyrics written by Johnny Mercer. It was written for the film ''You Were Never Lovelier'' (1942), where it was introduced by Nan Wynn who dubbed for Rita Hayworth as part of a song ...

"
Music by

Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over ...

, lyrics by

Johnny Mercer John Herndon Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records with music industry businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Wallichs Music Cit ...

Arranged by Wiest 2004
(recorded on ''MF Horn VI;'' ) : Performed by the Maynard Ferguson Band :* "Smile Again", composed & arranged by Wiest 1981 :* "Brother to Brother", composed by

Gino Vannelli Gino Vannelli (born June 16, 1952) is a Canadian rock singer and songwriter who had several hit songs in the 1970s and 1980s. His best-known singles include " People Gotta Move" (1974), " I Just Wanna Stop" (1978), " Living Inside Myself" (1981) ...

, arranged by Wiest 1981 :* "Gabriel's Gig Bag", composed & arranged by Wiest 1982 :* "Return of the Chameleon", based on "

Chameleon Chameleons or chamaeleons (Family (biology), family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 200 species described as of June 2015. The members of this Family (biology), family are best known for ...

" by

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer. He started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. Hancock soon joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helped to redefine the role of ...

, adopted and arranged by Wiest 1983 :* "Blues From Space", lyrics & music by Wiest (1984) :* "Tyrannosaurus", composed & arranged by Wiest 1984 :* "Whiplash", composed & arranged by Wiest 1984 :* "Compared to You", lyrics & music by Wiest (1985) :* "Portrait of Pamela J.", composed & arranged by Wiest (1985) :* "Balboa", composed & arranged by Wiest 1985 :* "Megabyte", composed & arranged by Wiest 1999 :* "Step Aside", composed & arranged by Wiest 1999 Other publishers : Recorded and performed by the Maynard Ferguson Band :* "Portuguese Love"
Composed by Teena Marie Brockert
Arranged by

Todd Cochran Todd Cochran (born September 3, 1951) is an American pianist, composer, keyboardist, essayist, and conceptual artist. Early in his career he was also professionally known as Bayeté. Cochran started his career as a teenager with saxophonist John ...

, adapted by Wiest 1982
(from the "Live" performance by

), Jobete Publishing (1982); : Performed by the Maynard Ferguson Band :* "South 21st Shuffle"
Arranged for Maynard Ferguson's band by Wiest
Adapted for full big band by Bob Lowden ''(né'' Robert W. Lowden; 1920–1998)
Barnhouse (1983); : From One O'Clock Lab Band albums :* "The Fifth Shade
(audio sample from ''Lab 2012)'' at 4:00
: From the

:* "Bu's Groove"
"Bu" is short for " Buhaina",

's Muslim surname
Composed by Michael W. Plog
Arranged by Wiest 2000 Unpublished :* "Hornets Nest" (1988)
Composed as a possible theme song for the

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...

basketball franchise

Jazz festivals, concerts, master classes, and workshops

In addition to Wiest's concert appearances at music festivals, clinics, and camps as director of the One O'Clock Lab Band, he has appeared as an artist and clinician with organizations and events that include: Collegiate * Northwest Jazz Festival, Northwest College,

(1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998) *

Coe College Coe College is a private liberal arts college in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It was founded in 1851 and is historically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). The college is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest and the Associati ...

Jazz Summit (1998) * The

Elmhurst College Elmhurst University is a private university in Elmhurst, Illinois, United States. It has a tradition of service-oriented learning and an affiliation with the United Church of Christ. The university changed its name from Elmhurst College on July ...

Jazz Festival (2009) * The

University of Texas at Tyler The University of Texas at Tyler (UT Tyler) is a public university, public research university in Tyler, Texas, United States. Founded in 1971, it is a part of the University of Texas System. UT Tyler consists of six professional colleges and o ...

(2007, 2010) * The

Symphony Orchestra (2011) *

Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the flagship institution of the five- ...

Jazz Ensemble I *

Missouri State University Missouri State University (MSU or MO State), formerly Southwest Missouri State University, is a public university in Springfield, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1905 as the Fourth District Normal School, it is the state's second-largest u ...

Jazz Studies Ensemble, Springfield Jazz Festival (guest soloist; 2012) * The

Illinois State University Illinois State University (ISU) is a public research university in Normal, Illinois, United States. It was founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University and is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teachin ...

Jazz Festival (2012) * The

Illinois Wesleyan University Illinois Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college in Bloomington, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1850, the central portion of the present campus was acquired in 1854 with the first building erected in 1856. History The in ...

Jazz Festival (headliner; 2011, 2012) * Sunbelt Jazz Festival,

University of West Georgia The University of West Georgia is a public university in Carrollton, Georgia, United States. The university offers a satellite campus in Newnan, Georgia, Newnan, Georgia, select classes at its Douglasville Center, and off-campus Museum Studies c ...

Middle Tennessee Middle Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee that composes roughly the central portion of the state. It is delineated according to state law as 41 of the state's 95 counties. Middle Tennessee contains the state's capital an ...

Jazz Orchestra *

Rowan University Rowan University is a public research university in Glassboro, New Jersey, with a medical campus in Stratford and medical and academic campuses in Camden. Founded in 1923 as Glassboro Normal School on a site donated by 107 residents, the scho ...

Jazz Festival,

Glassboro, New Jersey Glassboro is a Borough (New Jersey), borough within Gloucester County, New Jersey, Gloucester County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the Philadelphia metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 2 ...

Jazz Festival, Greeley Scholastic * Annual South Dakota All-State Jazz Band Festival (1995, 1996, 1999) * The Cudahy High School Band

Cudahy, Wisconsin Cudahy () is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 18,204 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. A suburb south of Milwaukee along the shore of Lake Michigan, it is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan are ...

(1991 & 1995) * Youth Jazz Ensemble of DuPage,

Wheaton, Illinois Wheaton is a city in and the county seat of DuPage County, Illinois, United States. It is located in Milton and Winfield Townships, approximately west of Chicago. As of the 2020 census, Wheaton's population was 53,970, making it the 27th-mos ...

(2005) * Beloit Memorial High School,

Beloit, Wisconsin Beloit ( ) is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 36,657 people. Beloit is a principal city of the Janesville, Wisconsin, Janesville–Beloit metropolitan statistical area (Rock Co ...

(2006) * Lincoln Senior High School, East St. Louis, Illinois ( Miles Davis' alma mater) * Badger Union High School Jazz Band, Geneva, Wisconsin * Rolling Meadows High School Jazz Festival, Rolling Meadows, Illinois (2009) Regional, national, professional * The Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues Festival (2006) * The Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival (2007) * The Jazz Knights,

United States Military Academy Band The West Point Band (also known as the U.S. Military Academy Band or USMA Band) is the U.S. Army's oldest active-duty band and the oldest unit at the United States Military Academy. An act of Congress (Military Peace Establishment Act) issued o ...

(2007) * Albuquerque Jazz Orchestra, 2008 NMIAJE Jazz All-State Conference (New Mexico Chapter if the International Association of Jazz Education) * Army Blues,

United States Army Band The United States Army Band, also known as "Pershing's Own", is the premier musical organization of the United States Army, founded in 1922. There are currently seven official performing ensembles in the unit: The U.S. Army Concert Band, The U.S. ...

, Eastern Trombone Workshop (2011) As director of The Jazz Symposium, UW-Whitewater *

As director of the One O'Clock Lab Band * Guinness Jazz Festival,

Cork (city) Cork ( ; from , meaning 'marsh') is the second-largest city in Republic of Ireland, Ireland, the county town of County Cork, the largest city in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the List of settlements on the island of Ireland ...

, Ireland * Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival * Folsom Jazz Festival,

Folsom, California Folsom is a city in Sacramento County, California, United States. The population was 80,454 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 72,203 residents at the 2010 United States census, 2010 census. History The Nisenan tribe of Ind ...

Selected videography and podcasts

* Playboy Jazz Festival, 1982, Volume II
RCA Columbia Pictures Home Video (1984); *# "

Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is a song by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson. Written by Jackson and released by Epic Records on July 10, 1979, the song is the first track on Jackson's fifth studio album, ''Off the Wall'' (1979). Ad ...

", by

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

Arranged by Denis DiBlasio
Wiest solo at 1:44
* 2nd Annual Budweiser Newport Jazz Festival, Madarao, Japan (August 1983) *: Source: Japanese TV footage *
"Bebop Buffet, Part I,"
a tribute to

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie ( ; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improvisation, improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy El ...

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz Saxophone, saxophonist, bandleader, and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of beb ...

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk ( October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the Jazz standard, standard jazz repertoire, includ ...

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...

, and

Clifford Brown Clifford Benjamin Brown (October 30, 1930 – June 26, 1956) was an American jazz trumpeter, pianist and composer. He died at the age of 25 in a car crash, leaving behind four years' worth of recordings. His compositions "Sandu", "Joy Sprin ...

Arranged by Denis DiBlasio *
"Gonna Fly Now"
(theme from ''

Rocky ''Rocky'' is a 1976 American independent film, independent sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the Rocky (film series), ''Rocky'' franchise and also star ...

)'' (at 14:15) : Personnel includes

– soloist (leader, trumpet), Steve Wiest (trombone),

Tim Ries Timothy M. Ries (born 15 August 1959) is an American saxophonist, composer, arranger, band leader, and music educator at the collegiate/conservatory level. Ries is in his year as a professor of jazz studies at the University of Toronto. His u ...

– soloist (alto sax), Daniel Jordan – soloist (tenor sax), Denis DiBlasio – soloist (bari sax, piccolo, scat singing),

(

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

), Matt Bissonette (

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

) :* Live at Disneyland (1983)Bebop Buffet, Part I
(Wiest solo at 8:44) * ZDF Jazz Club, studio broadcast with live audience, Berlin (1987) *
"Maynard's Theme", "Body & Soul," "Shuffle Monk"
*

Berlin Jazz Festival JazzFest Berlin (also known as the Berlin Jazz Festival) is a jazz festival in Berlin, Germany. Originally called the "Berliner Jazztage" (''Berlin Jazz Days''), it was founded in 1964 in West Berlin by the Berliner Festspiele. Venues included B ...

, November 7, 1987, shared billing with the Chick Corea Acoustic Band, and the Gil Evans Orchestra — multinational broadcast,

ZDF ZDF (), short for (; ), is a German public-service television broadcaster based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. Launched on 1 April 1963, it is run as an independent nonprofit institution, and was founded by all federal states of Germany ( ...

*: High Voltage personnel:

(trumpet, leader), Matt Wallace (tenor & alto sax), Michael Lufkin (bass), John Toomey (keyboards), Tom Bevan (guitar), David Tull (drums), Billy Hulting (percussion, vibes, marimba, midi-mallet, beat-boxer) *: Added personnel: Wayne Bergeron, Don Hahn (trumpets), Steve Wiest (reuniting while in grad school),

(alto sax), Denis DiBlasio (bari sax, flute) *
"The Market Place" & "Jack Usage" (at 11:55)
* Maynard Ferguson Tribute Concert DVD (2007), Vol. 1 of 2; *: Recorded live, September 20, 2006, Touhill Performing Arts Center,

University of Missouri–St. Louis The University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL) is a Public university, public research university in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Established in 1963, it is the newest of the four universities in the University of Missouri System. Located ...

*: Personnel on Vol. 1 includes: Trumpets — Wayne Bergeron, Carl Fischer, Ernie Hammes, Stan Mark, Eric Miyashiro, Dennis Noday,

Lew Soloff Lewis Michael Soloff (February 20, 1944 – March 8, 2015) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and actor. He was a founding member of the band Blood, Sweat & Tears. Biography From his birth place of New York City, United States, he studie ...

Andrea Tofanelli Andrea is a given name which is common worldwide for both males and females, cognate to Andreas, Andrey, Andrej and Andrew. Origin of the name The name derives from the Greek language, Greek word ἀνήρ (''anēr''), genitive ἀνδρός ...

, Walter White, Patrick Hession, Steve Schankman, Peter Olstad, Serafin Aguilar; saxes — Mike Dubaniewicz (alto), Matt Wallace (tenor), Denis DiBlasio (bari); trombones — Steve Wiest; piano — Christian Jacob, Chip Stevens, Jeff Lashway One O'Clock Lab Band * One O'Clock Alumni Lab Band, ''50-Year Anniversary of the UNT Jazz Studies Program'' (1997) *: Director: Leon Breeden; saxes:

Jim Riggs James Garland Riggs (born July 28, 1941) is an American saxophone, saxophonist in classical and jazz idioms, big band director, collegiate music educator, and international music clinician. He is also a University of North Texas Regents Professor ...

(lead),

Dan Higgins Dan Higgins (born January 28, 1957, in Boston, Massachusetts, United States) is an American saxophone and woodwind player. He has worked with such artists as John Williams, Seth MacFarlane, Aerosmith, Stevie Wonder, Neil Diamond, Al Jarreau, M ...

Lou Marini Louis Eugene Marini Jr. (born May 13, 1945), known as "Blue Lou" Marini, is an American saxophonist, arranger, and composer. He is best known for his work in jazz, rock, blues, and soul music, as well as his association with The Blues Brother ...

, Randy Lee, Bev Smith; trumpets: Gary Grant (lead), Jay Saunders, John Thomas, Clay Jenkins, Marv Stamm; trombones: Tom "Bones" Malone (lead), Steve Wiest, Chris Seiter, Jimmy Clark (bass), Bill Guthrie (bass); rhythm: Dan Haerle (piano), Ed Soph (drums), Jack Peterson (guitar),

Tony Scherr Tony Scherr is an American jazz and folk rock bassist, guitarist, singer-songwriter, and record producer. Biography Scherr was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and is a graduate of the Hammonasset School. He played with Woody Herman as a teenage ...

(bass), Gene Glover (percussion) *: Solos:

(soprano), Clay Jenkins (trumpet), Randy Lee (tenor), Steve Wiest (trombone),

(alto), Chris Seiter (trombone), Ed Soph (drums), and Gary Grant (trumpet). *#
A Good Time Was Had By All,"
composed by

Thad Jones Thaddeus Joseph Jones (March 28, 1923 – August 20, 1986) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer and bandleader who has been called "one of the all-time greatest jazz trumpet soloists". Early life, family and education Thad Jones was born i ...

Other works

Cartoons and illustrations Articles Liner notes Digital media jazz advocacy

References

General references

Inline citations

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wiest, Steve 1957 births Living people American jazz trombonists American male trombonists American jazz composers American male jazz composers American music educators American jazz educators American comics writers American comics artists American comic strip cartoonists American humorists American science fiction writers University of Southern Mississippi alumni University of North Texas College of Music alumni University of Texas at Arlington faculty University of Wisconsin–Whitewater faculty University of North Texas College of Music faculty Music of Denton, Texas American male novelists Novelists from Texas Novelists from Wisconsin Jazz musicians from Texas 21st-century American trombonists 21st-century American male musicians