David Sanborn, world-renown jazz saxophonist, began his playing career at the University of Iowa in the early 60s, at a time when there was no jazz program at the UI. And not only was there no jazz program, the music department administration had no interest in creating one. But percussion instructor Tom Davis, along with a group of interested students, including a young Dave Sanborn, didn’t take no for an answer, and created an extra-curricular program. Retired Iowa City middle school director Jerry Zinn played sax next to Sanborn in that very first band, dubbed the UI Jazz Lab Ensemble.
The first edition of the UI Jazz Lab Ensemble included not only Sanborn, but Paul Smoker, who passed away recently after a long and distinguished career, and pianist Dale Oehler, who moved to Hollywood to work as an arranger and composer.
This is Dennis Green’s conversation with Jerry and with current UI jazz director John Rapson, that also includes a few tunes from that under-the-radar band, from an actual 1965 concert, featuring Sanborn, Smoker, Oehler, and others.
https://soundcloud.com/jazz883kcck/the-early-days-of-the-university-of-iowa-jazz-program