Patrick Dorian's Professional Activities


Patrick Dorian, associate professor of music, has been a member of the faculty of the East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania Music Department since 1987. He teaches courses in jazz studies and film music and has developed and taught 17 new courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, including the semester-long Jazz Masters Seminar & Mentor Concert Series, which is currently in its ninth year (Spring 2008 schedule).

He was codirector of the Vintage Radio Programs and Jazz Museum Preservation Project Grant, which benefitted both the Vintage Radio Project and the Al Cohn Memorial Jazz Collection in East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania's Kemp Library. This grant was funded by the United States Congress (FY 2004 omnibus appropriations bill: HR 2673). It is a Congressionally Directed Award and came through the FY 2004 Appropriation to the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Professor Dorian is also the Music Department liaison to the Al Cohn Memorial Jazz Collection.

From 1987 to 2002, Professor Dorian acted as the advisor to and director of University Bands, making him the longest-running director of musical ensembles in the 115-year history of ESU. He founded the ESU University/Community Concert Band in 1987, which quickly became an outstanding "town and gown" model. Also, the University Jazz Ensemble performed with many world-class jazz artists and performed in 11 states in the eastern half of the US and Canada. In June of 2007, Professor Dorian was presented the Great Teacher Award by the ESU Alumni Association, recognizing "the teacher who has demonstrated superior teaching ability and extraordinary commitment to students." In October of 2007, he was inducted into the East Stroudsburg Area School District Music Hall of Fame. This honor is documented via plaques on display in the main lobbies of East Stroudsburg Area Senior High School - South (in East Stroudsburg, PA) and East Stroudsburg Area Senior High School - North (in Dingman's Ferry, PA). Professor Dorian has been named the Outstanding Advisor on Campus to a Student Organization "for having displayed exemplary roles at East Stroudsburg University" and ESU students inducted Professor Dorian into the ESU chapter of Omicron Delta Kappa: The National Leadership Honor Society. He has also been named to the 57th and 58th and 62nd editions of Who's Who in America - 2003 and 2004 and 2008, the 7th edition of Who's Who in American Education (2006-2007), and was awarded the Fred Waring Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Arts and the Community. Professor dorian holds degrees from Northwestern University (MM Performance) and Ithaca College (BM Performance and Music Education) and taught instrumental music in public schools for 14 years.
Trumpet/Flugelhorn Performances & Recordings & Radio Interviews
Writings & Research
Guest Evaluator, Artist/Teacher, Presenter, Consultant
Service Positions Held, Acknowledgements, & Miscellaneous

Trumpet/Flugelhorn Performances and Recordings and
National Public Radio Affiliate Interviews

Some of the recordings listed below are also described on Pat Dorian's page that artistdirect.com has
constructed on their Web site.
 

                Performances with the DLBB:

(More information about this ensemble is farther down this page.)

The following is a review of the Beyond the Line CD by Harvey Siders in the June 2004 issue of
JazzTimes magazine (page 132):

The level of musicianship displayed by the 18-piece David Liebman Big Band on its recorded debut, Beyond the Line  (OmniTone), is nothing short of breathtaking.  I’m talking about every aspect of musicianship:  Liebman’s astonishing soprano sax work; the imaginative colors captured by the six arrangers used for the session, among whom Jim McNeely has to be singled out; the concerted discipline of the East Coast players who wrestle with charts that constantly waver between tonality and atonality and seldom give sections the luxury of straightened swing; and the gifted soloists who are not intimidated by unorthodox changes that stray way beyond the line.  And conductor Gunnar Mossblad has translated Liebman’s eclectic wishes as if he were the saxophonist's musical alter ego.

"Hiroshima Memorial” is not a mere track; It’s a tone poem in which Liebman sets the mood with wood flute.  You can almost hear the airplane coming, the bombs falling.  “Done With Restraint” is akin to contemporary chamber music, often devoid of a tonal center and seemingly free of bar lines—and talk about contrast: it flows seamlessly into a sensuous acoustic guitar setup by guitarist Vic Juris for the Latin swinger “Pablo’s Story,” which is dedicated to Picasso. Stealing the spotlight is McNeely’s Grammy-nominated arrangement of “Sing, Sing, Sing,” the only non-Liebman composition on the CD.  It’s a brilliant update of riffs from the Goodman classic, heightened by Liebman and the band trading fours, twos, even ones, with every hair in place.  It’s an amazing tour de force.

Among the soloists credited is “the band” for “Fracas,” and justifiably so.  That is one fiendishly difficult Alan Baylock chart that former Liebman drummer Billy Hart described as “a fracas, man!”  True, but engineers Peter Karl and John C. Fishell keep this melee sounding crystal clear.
 

The Beyond the Line CD was named "Audio Jazz CD of the Month" in the
February 2004 issue of Audio magazine in Stuttgart, Germany.
The following is the review of the CD by Peter Steder from the same issue.
( It's available here in the original German version on the Audio magazine site ):

Translated from German by Wolfgang Knittel (Delaware Water Gap, PA, USA)

(Der Grenzgänger: David Liebman weist dem Bigband-Format spannende Perspektiven)

The Commuter Crosses the Border:
David Liebman Shows the Big Band Format Exciting Perspectives

At all costs he does not want to be an innovator. David Liebman states: “There is no innovation; because we have totally exhausted the harmonic possibilities.” Then what is so wild about this CD? It is the link between composition, improvisation and arrangement that is fascinating here. The “band within a band” concept emerges vividly. In “Hiroshima Memorial” one positively hears the bombs. Liebman's soprano sax or flute strikes up a lament over the requiem sounds of the band where the human voice fails. As an example of crossing the border (“Beyond the Line”) the 57-year old New Yorker portrays the tradition-schooled avant gardist Picasso – and crosses Spanish folklore with neo-bop.  Wildly tumbling lines alternate with songlike melodies, which according to Liebman, are “the actual essence of Music.” Lyrical soli in contrast to intricate rhythms and hot harmonies distinguish “Carissima,” homage to Caris, the wife of the Bandleader – Grace is paired with brains. Even if  “technical perfection contributes nothing to the further development of an art form,” as Liebman recently declared, he once again confirms his rank as one of the succinct saxophonists after John Coltrane – not by chance did Miles Davis hire him in 1971. It’s fantastic, how in “Sing, Sing, Sing,” breakneck soli go head over heels with mimicking outbreaks of the sax section. Six arrangers were at work; the leader himself kept out of it (different from the big band CD “Joy”; Candid/Fenn CCD 79531). This guarantees the diverse tone colors for all seven titles.

Music rating:  Outstanding (5 "ear" icons out of a possible 5)

Sound/recording quality rating:  Very Good (4 "ear" icons out of a possible 5)
 

The following is a review of the Beyond the Line CD by Jack Bowers
on the All About Jazz web site, published December 10, 2004:

Anyone who is familiar with David Liebman knows that the music he endorses and performs is sure to be cuttting edge - and such is the case with Beyond the Line, Liebman's first ever recording as a leader of his own big band. This is definitely ensemble music for the 21st century, and while it may not suit everyone's idea of what a big band should be or sound like, Liebman remains true to his artistic vision, which is to expand the boundaries of contemporary jazz by freeing himself and his companions from a number of time-honored structural and harmonic shackles while leaving in place those elements that separate jazz from other musical forms.

The result is an album of explicitly modern music that is sometimes pretty, occasionally unsettling, but invariably absorbing. As a non-musician, I can't imagine how Liebman's ensemble is able to unravel so handily the labyrinthine charts by Ed Sarath, Jim McNeely, Vince Mendoza, Henrik Frisk, Alan Baylock, and Bill Warfield; my hat's off to them for not only deciphering Liebman's elaborate blueprint but making the enterprise seem scarcely more taxing than a stroll in the park. Due credit must be given to longtime colleague Gunnar Mossblad, who ably directs the band while playing alto and soprano sax in its top-drawer reed section (a phrase that accurately describes the brass and rhythm too).

Liebman wrote the grimly evocative opener, "Hiroshima Memorial" after visiting that shrine to World War II's egregious devastation some two decades ago, and it is presented here in Sarath's graphic arrangement. Liebman's wooden flute introduces and ends the mournful piece, and here, as in most numbers, his soprano saxophone is prominently featured. Mendoza scored the lyrical "Beyond the Line," McNeely "Done with Restraint" (which can be interpreted either of two ways) and the durable Louis Prima vehicle "Sing, Sing, Sing," on which drummer Marko Marcinko resides comfortably in the driver's seat. Guitarist Vic Juris is showcased on "Beyond the Line" and Alan Baylock's strapping arrangement of the unruly "Fracas," pianist Jim Ridl on the mellow "Carissima," written by Liebman for his wife, Caris, and arranged by his student, Henrik Frisk. The finale, "Pablo's Story," is an ambitious eleven-minute homage to the late Pablo Picasso, tastefully scored by Warfield and embodying agreeable solos by Liebman and Juris, whose seductive guitar introduces its haunting theme.

Those who are partial to Basie, Herman, Kenton or Buddy Rich may wish to leave Beyond the Line off their holiday shopping list, while those who favor Maria Schneider, Dave Holland, Carla Bley, George Gruntz, David Murray, Pierre Dorge, Anthony Braxton or the Vienna Art Orchestra should seek it out without delay.
 

The Beyond the Line CD is analyzed in the seventh edition (2004, page 995) and eighth edition
(2006, page 805) of The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD. This is the world's leading guide to recorded
jazz and is published in the UK. The Penguin Guide is reviewed here on allaboutjazz.com.

 Here is the analysis of this CD in the Penguin Guide:

So much of Liebman's output has been either solo or in small groupings that it's hard to imagine - let alone hear - him working in a larger ensemble, even when he is the main soloist. The big band here is arranged by Gunnar Mossblad, and right from the start of "Hiroshima Memorial" you know you're in the presence of something big and powerful, in terms of composition, arrangement, and playing. "Sing, Sing, Sing" and "Done with Restraint" are equally good, and there are plenty of fine solo features from the other players: Juris, Ries, and Ridl most effectively. The whole package works just fine, though it might take you a moment or two to recalibrate and work out who the front-man is. He sounds tougher and more free-blowing here than usual.
 

Quotes from the CD inner booklet:

A special thanks to educator/trumpeter Pat Dorian, who by providing the opportunity for a live performance of
"The Seasons Reflected" at East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania, essentially funded the project.
- - David Liebman
 
In addition to a sincere thank you to Pat Dorian, chair of the ESU Regional Jazz Coalition for
sponsoring the premiere performance of this work . . .
- - Gunnar Mossblad

"Doran (sic) is superb on PorpDog; the brighter attack of brass horns suits Green's approach very well indeed."

This CD is reviewed by Jonathan Widran here on the AllMusic.com web site in the All Music Guide:

Widran states that "Green's core trio of bassist Frank Hauch and drummer Bruce Cox is
surrounded by other legends -- including flügelhornist Patrick Doran (sic), who adds sly,
swinging brass energy to PorpDog with Woods, Dave Liebman, and Chris Potter."

There are two reviews of this recording on the allaboutjazz.com Web site:

 December 2002 by Dave Nathan                  October 2002 by C. Michael Bailey


Recording PorpDog at Red Rock Recording Studio:
P. Dorian, Chris Potter, Phil Woods, David Liebman.

Writings & Research

                Their research paper, "Opinions, Attitudes, and Influences of Jazz Students Around the World in the 1990s:
                The Liebman Survey (Part III)," was presented at the 28th Annual IAJE International Conference in New York
                in January 2001 and was published in the IAJE Jazz Research Proceedings Yearbook, Volume XXI (2001).

                Part II was presented at the 27th annual IAJE International Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, in
                January 2000 and was published in the IAJE Jazz Research Proceedings Yearbook, Volume XX (2000).

                Part I was presented at the 26th Annual IAJE International Conference in Anaheim, California, in January 1999
                and was published in the IAJE Jazz Research Proceedings Yearbook, Volume XIX (1999). The papers were a
                study based on questionnaires distributed by David Liebman from 1991 to 1998, involving 256 participants
                from 28 countries.

                            All three parts were condensed into an 8-page article entitled "Thoughts from Jazz Students Around the
                            World: The Liebman Survey," published in the May 2001 Jazz Educators Journal. This publication has a
                            circulation of over 8,000 to more than 40 countries and each issue has a readership of over 28,000.
                           
                            Additionally, Mr. Liebman's extensive article "Jazz in Europe" in the May 1999 issue of the
                            Jazz Educators Journal cited three main findings from Part I of Dorian's and Giffel's paper.

                Other IAJE research papers were published and presented in Anaheim, California (1995), Boston,
                Massachusetts (1994), San Antonio, Texas 1993), and Miami, Florida (1992).

Guest Evaluator, Conductor, Artist/Teacher, Presenter, Consultant

                        University of New Hampshire/Clark Terry Jazz Festival (2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, | not held in 2005 |,
                        2006, 2007)
                        Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania Jazz Festival (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006,
                        2007)
                                    In addition to being a guest evaluator at Bloomsburg University, also presented:
                                                2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 - A clinic about trumpet performance practices to
                                                university and high school student musicians
                        Northern Lehigh High School (Slatington, PA) (2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, | not held in 2006 |,
                        2007)
                        Palmerton (PA) Area High School JazzFest (2005, 2006, | not held in 2007 | )
                        Kutztown High School (PA) Jazz Festival (2005, 2006, 2007)
                        Kutztown Junior High School (PA) Jazz Festival (2006, 2007)
                        Central Jazz Fest at Central York High School, York (PA) (2005)
                        Colonial Jazz Fest at Bangor (PA) Area High School (2004, 2005)
                        Easton (PA) High School (2004)
                        Quakertown (PA) High School (2002)
                        Wilson Area (PA) High School (2001)
                        College of St. Rose (Albany, NY) (2000)

Service Positions Held, Acknowledgements, & Miscellaneous
                    Pianist Bobby Avey has grown up in the Pocono Mountains area where I have lived for the past
                    20 years. We have quite an active jazz community, with artists like Phil Woods, Urbie Green, and
                    Bob Dorough ensconsed here for decades. Along with a wonderful educator, Pat Dorian who also plays
                    trumpet in my New York based big band, there is an informal, but real master/apprentice situation
                    happening in our area.
 
        (This CD received 4 stars in a review from Ken Dryden on the AllMusic.com web site in the All Music Guide.)

My appreciation to a great educator and friend, Pat Dorian with whom I have been working with in
many ways for the past decade near my home in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.

                Also in this book, the entirety of chapter 7 (pages 45-49), entitled Straight Talk, is a transcription of Mr.
                Liebman's summation lecture to Professor Dorian's Jazz Masters Seminar class. The topic for the lecture
                was to describe and understand the common qualities of 12 accomplished jazz artists (who presented
                sessions to the class earlier that semester) that define success in jazz and in life. The session was transcribed
                by Mr. Bob Bush, coordinator of the Al Cohn Memorial Jazz Collection in Kemp Library at ESU, where a
                videotape of the lecture is archived.

"a panel of experts who are respected authorities for their field or instrument. Team members are
busy professionals who have volunteered to answer questions from members, evaluate
Jazz Education Journal editorial articles, evaluate workshop proposals for the
IAJE Annual Conference, and review educational content for the IAJE Web site."

                In this capacity, he continues to be the United States chairperson for IAJE for Educational Jazz Festivals and
                Summer Jazz Studies, and from 1992 to 2001 he published two comprehensive 5-page directories annually:
                the "Educational Jazz Festival Directory" and "Summer Jazz Studies Directory" in the Jazz Educators
                Journal. Questions submitted to IAJE and answered by Professor Dorian may be read here.

Published essays about Patrick Dorian by
Phil Woods and David Liebman.
 
Back to Patrick Dorian's Web Page

Last updated 02/23/2008.