Erik Applegate
2019 NOCO Honor Jazz Band Conductor

A man of many passions, Erik Applegate is a jazz bassist, a composer, and a songwriter. Current projects include recording and touring with Born To Wander (an indie jazz & Americana band) and the Dana Landry Trio & Quartet, and composing big band pieces including a jazz-electronica hybrid for an upcoming “Alice In Wonderland” project and arranging pieces for vocalist Julia Dollison’s forthcoming big band album. His most recent CD is “Two’s Company”, a collection of duos, and the follow up “Three’s A Crowd” releases Spring 2018.​

Called “a top-notch acoustic bass performer” by JazzReview.com, and “a seriously swingin’ dude” by Bass World Magazine, Applegate has performed throughout the U.S. with jazz artists including the Bob Mintzer Big Band, Nnenna Freelon, Milt Jackson, Jeff Coffin, Mulgrew Miller, Eddie Daniels, Dick Oatts, George Garzone, Clay Jenkins, Ron Miles, Dave Pietro, Deborah Brown, Marlena Shaw, Bob Dorough, Billy Pierce, Alan Dawson, and others.  He toured with renowned pianist James Williams and in a trio with Harold Mabern and Ed Thigpen, and has appeared at jazz festivals, clubs, and concert series throughout the U.S. and in Europe, Australia, and China.

Red Skies, Applegate’s first CD as a leader, reached #2 on the Roots Music Report chart, and he can also be heard on charting albums including Born To Wander’s self-titled debut, Dana Landry’s Grammy-nominated Journey Home, 7ON7’s Back When It Was Fun, Don Aliquo’s Another Reply, and others by David Caffey, Glenn Kostur, Bob Washut, Dan Gailey, Steve Owen, and Wil Swindler.​
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A versatile composer and arranger, Applegate has written commissions for jazz artists, university jazz and classical ensembles, and professional chamber groups, and he was awarded an Individual Artist Grant from the Colorado Council on the Arts for his “Walt Whitman Jazz Suite.” His most recent recorded works are two pieces for “The Romeo and Juliet Project” (Artist Alliance Records)

NoCo Honor Jazz Band Dates (tentative)

Friday, October 4, 2019 - 5:00pm - Auditions Due
Tuesday, November 19, 2019 - 5:00-8:00p - Sectionals at Poudre HS
Thursday, November 21, 2019 - 4:30-8:30p - Rehearsal at Poudre HS
Friday, November 22, 2019 - 4:30 - 6:00p - Soundcheck at Poudre HS
Friday, November 22, 2019 - 7:00 Concert at Poudre HS

NoCo Honor Jazz Band Audition Instructions

Horns:
  • Chromatic Scale, full range of your instrument, ascending AND descending.
  • Play the indicated excerpt for your instrument at the indicated metronome marking (metronome should be audible on your recording).
    • Only students interested in playing lead trumpet should record the lead trumpet excerpt.
  • Two 12 bar choruses of blues in F or blues in Bb (see your director for play-along recording).
  • Optional: Play the head then improvise up to 2 choruses on "Song for My Father” (see your director for play along recording).
    • Play along recordings for the F/Bb Blues and “Song for My Father” can be found on Aebersold Vol. 54 “Maiden Voyage.”
Guitar, Piano, Bass, Vibes:
  • Play the indicated excerpt for your instrument at the indicated metronome marking (metronome should be audible on your recording).
  • Comp 2 choruses of blues (in F or Bb) and solo 2 choruses (see your director for play along recording.)
  • Optional: Play the head then improvise up to 2 choruses on “Song for My Father” see your director for play along recording).
    • Play along recordings for the F/Bb Blues and “Song for My Father” can be found on Aebersold Vol. 54 “Maiden Voyage.”
Drum Set: 
  • Play the indicated excerpts for your instrument at the indicated metronome marking (metronome should be audible on your recording).
  • Play 32 bars of Samba at Half note = 100 (example pattern follows the main excerpt) in the following manner:
    • 4 bars of time/4 bars of solo fill, 4 bars of time/4 bars of solo fill, 4 bars of time/4 bars of solo fill, 4 bars of time/4 bars of solo fill… for a total of 32 bars.
  • Play 64 bars of Up-tempo swing at Quarter note = 220 in the following manner:
    • 8 bars of time/8 bars solo fill, 8 bars of time/8 bars of solo fill, 8 bars of time/8 bars solo fill, 8 bars of time/8 bars of solo fill… for a total of 64 bars.

NoCo Honor Jazz Band Audition Excerpts

Please click this link to download NoCo Honor Jazz Band Audition Materials.