Jazz Orchestra On Stage Saturday

Oklahoma Baptist University's Bison Jazz Orchestra will perform a set at Shawnee's downtown Jazz Festival Saturday, from 12:30 to1:30 p.m. The Bison Jazz Orchestra is under the direction of Kevin Pruiett.

The group is primarily comprised of students from the Symphonic Band. The 20-piece ensemble has released two compact discs, "Bison Jazz Orchestra" in 1998 and most recently, "Final Cut," in the fall of 2000.

The group often participates in the Wichita Jazz Festival and the Jazz Festival at the University of Northern Colorado, receiving consistent superior ratings. The Jazz Orchestra performs annually on campus during Fine Arts Chapel, Homecoming's Musical Gala and the M&M's concert.

Pruiett, assistant professor of music at OBU, joined the university faculty in 2001. In addition to directing the jazz band, Pruiett teaches brass courses, maintains the recording facilities in Yarborough and Potter Auditoriums and supervises repair of university instruments.

He served as sabbatical replacement for a full-time studio professor at Eastern Illinois University before coming to OBU. In addition to teaching trumpet privately, he had been a graduate assistant at the University of Illinois at Urbana since 1997.

Pruiett has been in numerous instrumental performance groups including the University of Illinois Jazz Band, Wind Symphony, New Music Ensemble, and Graduate Brass Quintet. He has been principal trumpet in the Paris Brass since1991.

Pruiett worked toward a doctor of musical arts degree from the University of Illinois and completed a master of music degree from Eastern Illinois University. He earned a bachelor's degree from Millikin University.