Why Music Matters with Jeff Miers: UB Professor of Music Jon Nelson
EP 50: Talks Frank Zappa, Meridian Arts Ensemble, and Supporting His Students’ Creativity
Hello music lovers, and welcome to another edition of Why Music Matters. I’m your host, music journalist and musician Jeff Miers.
Today is a special day for the Why Music Matters team - we’re celebrating our 50th episode. And as we do so, I’d like to thank all of you for listening and for your continued support. We’re just getting started, and we’ve got some exciting new ventures planned for the future. Thanks for coming along on the ride.
A special episode demands a special guest, and today, we’ve got one, in the form of UB Professor of Music Jon Nelson.
I’ve known Jon for a long time, and have always been impressed and inspired by his love for music, as both a musician and an educator. Whether as co-founder of Pausa Art House, a vibrant home for jazz and contemporary chamber music in Buffalo; as a founding member of the renowned Meridian Arts Ensemble and leader of the brave and daring Genkin Philharmonic; or as an educator eager to push the envelope of the traditional with the student ensembles he leads at the University at Buffalo, Jon has been a tireless advocate for contemporary music.
Jon’s latest project involves the arrival of an archival recording of the Meridian Arts Ensemble performing at the home of the late, great composer, guitarist and iconoclast Frank Zappa. “The Zappa House Concert” documents Jon and the ensemble’s 1996 performance for an audience of Zappa, his family, and a group of close friends, all recorded in Zappa’s home studio, the Utility Muffin Research Kitchen, using a single microphone.
During our discussion, Jon tells us all about the experience, and he details what Zappa’s work has meant to him throughout his musical journey.
Welcome to Why Music Matters, Jon Nelson!
You can find The Zappa House Concert through meridianartsensemble.com or bigroundrecords.com.
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Amazon Podcast HERE.
Produced by 678Main Studio and Creative Services
Presented By 42 North Brewing
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Nothing but love and respect for Jon Nelson! Good discussion.