August 8, 2008

Jazz Leader Helps a Band Take Giant Steps

By ERIC KELDERMAN

It's nearly 9 p.m. on a July night, and Neil Slater is pushing his University of North Texas jazz band to the edge less than 48 hours before they will leave for a major European tour.

A scheduled two-hour rehearsal has stretched into a third hour, and Mr. Slater has called for a demanding piece that alternates between nuanced small-group vignettes and the full ensemble playing complex harmonies at near ear-splitting volume. Not surprisingly, the students are up to the challenge. Mr.