UNH launches the 33rd season of its Traditional Jazz Series with renowned saxophonists Jeff Coffin and Dave Pietro

For the past 32 years, the UNH Traditional Jazz Series has been an outlet for some of the region’s finest performances from many of the best in jazz, both locally and nationally. The list of performers who have appeared on the Johnson Theatre stage is as diverse as it is extensive. Marian McPartland, Frank Wess, Fred Haas, the Seacoast Big Band, Tommy Flanagan and Donna Byrne are just a few of the names that have appeared in the series.

The 33rd season opens Monday, Sept. 19, and it may very well be the best season to date, with an extraordinary lineup that covers an array of jazz styles that all comfortably fit under the traditional umbrella.

The series opener is indicative of this diversity, as two former members of the UNH Jazz Band return for their first joint performance in Durham in more than 25 years. Saxophonists Dave Pietro and Jeff Coffin bring extensive musical experiences from their respective careers back to the school where it all began.

Coffin, who currently plays saxophone in the Dave Mathews Band, views his return to UNH as “coming full circle” for both himself and Pietro. Coffin, who attended Spaulding High School in Rochester and was a member of the first ever N.H. All-State Jazz Band in 1983, met Pietro at the UNH Summer Youth Music School in the early ’80s. Pietro and Coffin roomed together at UNH during the 1983-’84 school year and sat side by side on the tenor sax chairs in the school’s jazz band that year. Both moved on to the jazz program at North Texas State in Denton. It was after they graduated that the two musicians moved on to different locales—Coffin to Nashville and Pietro to New York City.

Coffin, who believes in the concept of all music being one music, was for many years a featured member of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones before joining Matthews’ band in 2008. Coffin has also performed with keyboard player Jeff Babko and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, among many others. When not on the road as a sideman, Coffin leads his band the Mu’tet, which explores a variety of musical styles with a jazz edge and a funky groove.

Pietro has performed with a wide variety of artists, including Woody Herman, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Maria Schneider and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, among others. A prolific composer, Pietro has released recordings such as “Standard Wonder,” which looks at the music of Stevie Wonder; “Embrace,” which offers jazz impressions of Brazil; and “The Chakra Suite,” which uses the Chakra system as an organizing principle to organically blend jazz, Brazilian and Eastern music. Pietro is making his second appearance in the series, having performed in 2008.

Coffin referred to his relationship with Pietro as a special one. “For both of us to come together and perform in this series that we both attended as students is very special, for sure,” he said. “We’ve played together before on several occasions and we keep in touch on a very regular basis and we’ve turned each other on to some really incredible music. But, the playing is only a small part of the relationship as we talk about music, our roles in music education and about life in general. And it’s been 25 years of those conversations.”

Joining Coffin and Pietro will be the UNH Faculty Jazz Trio of Mark Shilansky on piano, John Hunter on bass and Les Harris Jr. on drums. They will assist the saxophonists as they take the audience on a diverse musical journey.

The rest of the series is equally open and imaginative. On Oct. 17, legendary pianist Kenny Barron and his trio will perform. On Nov. 14, Boston-based trumpeter and composer Greg Hopkins and his quintet will close out the fall semester. That group will also feature the remarkable saxophone work of Shannon LeClaire.

The spring semester opens on Jan. 30 with a return performance by the Wolverine Jazz Band, one of the premier traditional jazz acts in the Northeast. On Feb. 27, Matt Wilson brings his Arts and Crafts band, featuring Terrell Stafford on trumpet, for an evening of music laced with a good dose of humor. On April 2, guitarist Howard Alden makes a long overdue return to the series with his trio.

Tickets to each show in the UNH Traditional Jazz Series are $8 for the general public or $6 for students and seniors. Tickets for all six shows are $40. To purchase tickets, call 603-862-2290 or visit www.unhmub.com. All performances take place at 8 p.m. in Johnson Theatre at the Paul Creative Arts Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham. For more information on the series, call coordinator Dave Seiler at 603-659-2010 or visit http://www.unh.edu/music/.