In 1960 the first extracurricular student jazz group at the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) was formed. A decade later, Dr. Kent Kidwell formalized a student jazz ensemble as a formal class and founded a modern jazz program, whose groups began receiving top honors at many respected jazz festivals. Jazz at Central University has now grown to include eleven groups with multiple undergraduate and graduate jazz degree offerings. UCO big bands, combos and individual students have received numerous awards and honors for outstanding performances at events held around the world. The current Director of Jazz Studies, Dr. Brian W. Gorrel, took over leadership of the UCO Jazz Ensemble 1 in 2009. Since then, this flagship group has toured extensively and performed in many international reputed events, including the 50th anniversary of the Jazz à Juan Festival (France), the Umbria Jazz Festival (Italy), the Jazz Education Network Conference in Louisville and in Reno, the Midwest Clinic in Chicago, the Oklahoma Music Educators Annual Conference in Tulsa, and the Monterey Jazz Festival (United States). Award winner twice of the “Large Jazz Ensemble” category in the Downbeat Magazine Annual Student Music Awards, the UCO Jazz Ensemble 1 also won the first prize in the Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival.

A former member of the Lawrence Welk Orchestra among other professional accolades, Dr. Brian W. Gorrel also serves as Advisor for UCO’s Master of Music in Jazz Studies and Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance and teaches Applied Saxophone. He also currently serves as Music Director for the well-known “Oklahoma City Jazz Orchestra” and leads his own group “Brian Gorrell & Jazz Company”. He completed a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from UCO in 1995 and earned a Master of Music in Saxophone Performance at Oklahoma City University studying with acclaimed classical saxophonist Dr. Gail Hall in 1998.