THE TEMPLE UNIVERSITY JAZZ BAND

LIVE FROM JAPAN, VOLUME 1

BCM+D Records

GRAMMY-winning trumpeter, Terell Stafford, recently led the Temple University Jazz Band on a five-day tour of Japan.  This “Live” album celebrates their rare and exciting appearance in a country that loves and respects jazz.  The culmination of their five-day tour happened on March 9^th of 2025 at the popular and renowned nightclub Akasaka B-Flat Jazz Dining in Tokyo, Japan.

“We had a great time.  It was an unbelievable experience for me, having been to Japan so many times, to see the students react to everything with fresh eyes.  To see how beat down they were because of jetlag, but knowing they’d have to work through it and be professional.  It taught them a lot of life lessons, and I was inspired by them,” Stafford enthused.

Their album begins with “Squatty Roo,” a tune written for the Duke Ellington Orchestra by saxophone giant, Johnny Hodges and arranged by bassist and bandleader, John Clayton.

Their set-list is spirited and includes three other Ellington classics. “Jack the Bear” features bassist Graham Kozak.  The arrangement is a slow swing.  Jacquee Paul does a lovely job of interpreting the ballad, “I Didn’t Know About You” with sweet finesse. She also shines on Ellington’s “I Just Found Out About Love,” swinging along with the powerhouse band, and showcasing her soprano power.  The final Ellington song closes this album out with bluesy richness. It’s their arrangement of “Black and Tan Fantasy.”

The album centerpiece was composed by Yoichi Uzeki, a Tokyo native and Temple alum.  It’s an intricate chamber piece that beautifully blurs the lines between European classical music and jazz.

The band is pushed and excited by the powerhouse drums of Maria Marmarou.  This Japanese tour served as a culmination of her 7-years of study at Temple University. I was so impressed to see a female drummer providing the rhythm for the Temple University Jazz Band with such excellence.  Check her out on Herbie Hancock’s tune “Eye of the Hurricane.”  She has acquired her undergraduate and master’s degrees, along with her professional studies certificate.  This was Maria’s first tour abroad.

These talented students got to experience what touring with a band is really like, and they gave it their all.  The enthusiastic support of their attentive audience shows that they were well received and appreciated. The release date for this music is February 6, 2026.

THE TEMPLE UNIVERSITY JAZZ BAND MEMBERS are: RHYTHM: Maria Marmarou, drums; Graham Kozak, bass; Jake Miller, guitar; Anthony Aldissi, piano. SAXOPHONES: Ray Kaneko & Allen Green, alto saxophones; Evan Kappelman & Anthony Singer, tenor saxes; Zachary Spondike, baritone sax. TRUMPETS: John Brunozzi, Nick Dugo, Jesse Deems, Banks Sapnar, & Levi Rozek. TROMBONES: Drew Sedlacsik, Scott Alberti, Tim Zettlemoyer, & John Kim on bass trombone. Jacquee Paul, lead vocals. Terell Stafford, Band Director.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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