Jazz on the Lawn A special performance by the UTA Jazz Department’s faculty.

UTA Jazz Orchestra

The UTA Jazz Orchestra is the first of two big bands at the University of Texas at Arlington. The accomplishments of this organization have brought international attention to UTA and the City of Arlington while providing truly extraordinary educational opportunities and cultural experiences for its musicians. The UTAJO has performed invitational concerts at the Montreux International Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland; the first International Jazz Festival in Sao Paulo, Brazil; and the first International Jazz Festival in Nassau, Bahamas. Other international tours include Montreal, Canada; the American Music Festival in Manila, Philippines; and Beijing, China.

The Bucket List Jazz Band

Jim Milan’s dream of bringing together musical arrangements (written and recorded in the 1930’s and 1950’s by a gifted arranger and clarinetist, Matty Matlock) with contemporary, professional musicians led to the culmination of what today is The Bucket List Jazz Band. The musicians are some of the best in the DFW area. They come from various walks of life including college music professors, high school band directors, free-lance musicians, and the corporate business world. They are all dedicated to presenting, preserving, and promoting classic jazz. Jim Milan is almost 100 years old and still plays great. He says, “All of us in the band are committed to the fact that this music needs to be played and heard in this area. Two generations have grown up without ever having the opportunity to hear what good, well-arranged Dixieland jazz really sounds like.”