PROGRAM
You’re Makin’ Me Crazy Gary and Rosana Eckert arr. Michele Weir
Paul Bratcher, piano; Jeremy Fagen, scat; David O’Malley, guitar
Deed I Do
Fred Rose, Walter Hirsch arr. John Toomey Ponenya Min, bass; Jeremy Fagen, saxophone; David O’Malley, guitar
Orange and Blue
He Was The Cat
Sarah Jarosz, John Leventhal arr. David von Kampen
Ginny Carr Goldberg
Phillip Todd, vibraphone; Paul Bratcher, piano
Baroque Samba Darmon Meader arr Darmon Meader
Paul Bratcher, piano
MASON JAZZ VOCAL ENSEMBLE
Amanda Araujo, Greeshma Bhat, Diego Billington, Emily Davies, Jeremy Fagen, Gabe Fulton, Ava Jack, Corinne Kelly, Adam Lenahan, Andrew London, Jadyn Nguyen, Phillip Todd
The Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble, directed by Dr. Darden Purcell, is the DownBeat awardwinning Jazz vocal group of George Mason University. They have performed at BLUES ALLEY, the Kansas City Jazz Summit, ACCENT Vocal Festival, Jazz4Justice™ concerts, and been featured with the American Festival Pops Orchestra (Anthony Maiello) Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, (Jim Carroll), and the Capitol Bones All-Brass Big Band. Members of this group have performed as back-up vocalists for Ben Folds alongside the National Symphony Orchestra (Wolf Trap), Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Virginia Beach Symphony
The MJVE was awarded a DownBeat Student Music Award for "Outstanding PerformanceLarge Vocal Jazz Ensemble, Undergraduate College” and “Outstanding Ensemble” at the Kansas City Jazz Summit
Conference performances and presentations include the ACDA National conference (Dallas, 2025), Jazz Education Network (Dallas, 2018, New Orleans, 2024), Virginia Music Educators Association (Richmond, VA, 2023), and the American Choral Directors Association Southern Region Conference (Raleigh, NC, 2022) They have shared the stage with vocal super groups,
The New York Voices, The Manhattan Transfer and ACCENT
The Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble is honored to present at the American Choral Directors Association, Southern Region Conference in Memphis, TN
Director, Darden Purcell
Origin Records recording artist, Darden Purcell is a Washington D C based jazz vocalist, featured with symphony orchestras, big bands and small ensembles and jazz educator. Ms. Purcell has shared the stage with top jazz artists, Maria Schneider, Christian McBride, Branford Marsalis, Joe Locke, Eric Alexander, Terell Stafford, Chip McNeill, the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra (Jim Carroll), Navy Commodores, Airmen of Note, US Army Blues, American Festival Pops Orchestra (Tony Maiello), and American Pops Orchestra, performing nationally and internationally, including Blues Alley, Chris’ Jazz Cafe (Philadelphia), Club Bonafide (NYC), The Jazz Kitchen (Indianapolis), Blue Wisp, Bop Stop, Blu+ Jazz (Ohio), Con Alma (Pittsburgh), Sharp9 (NC), JazzB (Sao Paulo, Brazil), Aalt Stadhaus (Luxembourg), Wolf Trap and The Kennedy Center (back-up vocals for Mr. George Benson, Caroline Shaw, Ben Folds, Sara Bareilles). Dr. Purcell is the Director of Jazz Studies, Jazz Voice Instructor and Director of the Downbeat Award-winning, Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble at George Mason University
Ms. Purcell is a former Washington DC Air Force Band vocalist, performing in Germany, Italy, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates She performed back-up vocals for Chaka Khan, BeBe Winans, Bryan White, Lari White, Janie Frickie, Freda Payne, Sherrie Payne, Gloria Loring, Melba Moore and Rita Coolidge as well as Darlene Love on "The Late Show with David Letterman "
Dr Purcell is an active jazz vocal educator and clinician Her groups have performed at the New York Voices Jazz Festival, Western Michigan’s Gold Company Jazz Vocal Invitational, Kansas City Jazz Summit, ACCENT Vocal Festival, were a featured collegiate group at the 2018 and 2024 Jazz Education Network (JEN) Conferences, 2023 Virginia Music Educators Association conference, and have shared the stage with The New York Voices, ACCENT and The Manhattan Transfer. Dr. Purcell has been invited to present/perform at Jazz Education Network conference (Dallas, New Orleans), the American Choral Director’s National Conference, ACDA Southern Region conference, Virginia Music Educators Association conference, “Jazz Voices” conference (Graz, Austria), Projeto GURI (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and “JazzDays” Festival (Luxembourg). Her students have been finalists in the Ella Fitzgerald Vocal competition, awarded “Outstanding soloist" and “Outstanding Musicianship" at collegiate festivals, Downbeat Student Music Awards and military band positions.
Dr. Purcell earned a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Jazz Performance at Virginia Tech, a Master of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Jazz Performance at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Her latest recording “Love’s Got Me in a Lazy Mood” was released on Origin Records to rave reviews and international airplay
Thank you to the director of the Dewberry School of Music, Dr Linda Apple-Monson, for her support of the Jazz Studies department. Thank you George Mason Jazz faculty for their incredible work with the instrumental program Darden would like to thank her husband, Shawn, for his unwavering love and support.
Thank you to everyone at American Choral Directors Association Southern Region for your dedication to excellence in choral music and for the tremendous effort you put into making this conference such a meaningful and inspiring event.
music.gmu.edu dardenpurcell.com Email: dpurcel2@gmu.edu
MJVE Sound Engineer
Billy Kessinger is the Audio Supervisor for the College of Visual and Performing Arts at George Mason University In this role he oversees the audio technology and support for multiple performance venues on campus. Billy is also an Adjunct Professor, teaching courses in Sound Engineering and Mixing. As a Front of House Engineer, Billy has mixed artists such as Audra McDonald, Patti Lupone, Kristin Chenoweth, Lea Salonga, Christian McBride, Branford Marsalis, The Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra and the American Festival Pops Orchestra. Billy earned a Bachelor Science in Music Business from Radford University, and a Master of Arts in Arts Management from George Mason University
MJVE Rhythm Section
Paul Bratcher, a native of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, began his study of jazz at Bishop McDevitt High School where he played in the Jazz Band under the direction of David Knott. Paul continued his education at Messiah College pursuing a Bachelors of Science in Music Education. While attending Messiah he played and studied with Tim Warfield, Kirk Reese, Cyrus Chestnut and Bruce Barth Paul continued his education at Michigan State University studying Jazz under bassist Rodney Whitaker Paul has shared the stage with Rodney Whitaker, Diego Rivera, Etienne Charles, Michael Dease, Walt Weiskopf, and Wes “ Warm Daddy” Anderson He has toured South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Canada, and Uruguay, Egypt, Indonesia and more Dr Bratcher is Associate Chair of Piano at the Levine School of Music and Director of Jazz Studies at Georgetown University Dr Bratcher earned a Doctor of Musical Arts from George Mason University, Fall 2025.
Clay Cottis is an active drumset performer and educator in Alexandria, Virginia. In 2013, Clay accepted a position as a percussionist with “The Commandant’s Own” United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps located in Washington, D.C., where he performed as a snare and tenor drummer until 2019 Clay currently maintains an active private lesson studio in Northern Virginia, serves as the Director of Percussion at Thomas Edison High School in Alexandria, VA, and is a Jazz Studies major at George Mason University Clay has performed at Radio City Music Hall, Lucas Oil Stadium, the Umbria Jazz Festival, the Ancona Jazz Festival, the Avenches Tattoo, The Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center, Blues Alley, Hylton Performing Arts Center, George Mason University Center for the Arts, and more
David O’Malley is a junior Jazz Studies major, studying with Dr Shawn Purcell He has performed in the Jazz Combos, Jazz Workshop, Mason Jazz Ensemble and MJVE at venues, the Center for the Arts, Hylton Performing Arts Center, the Ancona Jazz Festival (Italy) and Umbria Jazz Festival (Perugia, Italy)
Ponenya Min is a senior Jazz Studies major studying with Ben Thomas Ponenya has performed in the Jazz Combos, Jazz Workshop, Mason Jazz Ensemble and MJVE at Blues Alley, the JEN Conference (New Orleans), Ancona Jazz Festival (Italy), and Umbria Jazz Festival (Perugia, Italy)
GEORGE MASON JAZZ STUDIES
George Mason University Jazz Studies (instrumental and vocal) offers opportunities for improvisation, performance, recording, writing, leadership and service. Our ensembles and students have performed at the Umbria Jazz Festival (Italy), Shanghai Concert Hall (Beijing, China), Center for the Arts, Hylton Performing Arts Center, Jazz Education Network conferences, Virginia Music Educators Association conferences, American Choral Directors Association National conference, Blues Alley, Wolf Trap, Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, Smithsonian, Kansas City Jazz Summit, University of Trinidad and Tobago and more. Our students have won “Outstanding Ensemble” accolades, military band positions and DownBeat Student Music Awards A high point of students’ time is Jazz4Justice™, an annual concert that combines the Jazz department with local law communities to raise money for academic initiatives and public access to justice
Ensembles
Mason Jazz Ensemble (Big Band)
Jazz Workshop (Lab Band)
Combos
Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble (Downbeat Award)
Steel Pan Ensemble
Braddock Road Brass Band
Latin American Ensemble (Downbeat Award)
Jazz Degrees
2 Minors - Performance & Jazz Studies
Bachelor of Music | Master of Music
Doctor of Musical Arts - Jazz Emphasis
GEORGE MASON JAZZ FACULTY
WADE BEACH
Piano
Jazz Combos
DR. KEVIN MCDONALD
Drum Set
GRAHAM BREEDLOVE
Trumpet
Braddock Road
Brass Band
JIM CARROLL
Founder, Jazz program
Mason Jazz Ensemble
Intro to Jazz Improvisation
Topics in Jazz
XAVIER PEREZ Saxophone
VICTOR PROVOST
Steel Pan
Steel Pan Ensemble
DR. GEOFFREY DEAN
Jazz/Commercial Piano
AARON ECKERT Trombone
JOHN KOCUR
Jazz Studies
Jazz Workshop
Jazz & Blues in America
Jazz Improvisation I & II
DR. DARDEN PURCELL Director
Jazz Voice
Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble
DR. SHAWN PURCELL
Guitar
Jazz Combos
Jazz Arranging
BEN THOMAS Bass
The George Mason Jazz Camp is an inclusive summer program for musicians (instrumental and vocal) of all levels, (Under-18 and Adult Tracks) with a desire to advance their musical artistry. Students play in Big Bands, Combos, Latin Jazz and Vocal Jazz groups, take classes in jazz improvisation, jazz theory, arranging and history and participate in master classes and concerts with inspirational musicians and educators in the Virginia, DC and Maryland region
Withguestartist-in-residence,Grammyaward-winning, saxophonist,composerandeducator ROXY
The George Mason Jazz Festival is a yearly invitational, non-competitive event open to middle school, high school, collegiate, and community jazz ensembles. Sponsored by Mason Jazz Studies and the Dewberry Family School of Music, participating groups perform a 20 to 25minute set in the Harris Theater and receive written feedback from adjudicators. Afterwards, each group receives a clinic with George Mason Jazz faculty in the de Laski Performing Arts Building. In addition to providing comments to bands, the adjudicators will offer select students George Mason Jazz Camp scholarships and Outstanding Soloist/Performer awards go.gmu.edu/georgemasonjazzfest
FEBRUARY13,2027