Ensembles
Jazz Combo
The Jazz Combo is a university ensemble dedicated to the exploration of jazz improvisation in a small group setting. Students in the Jazz Combo are members of the university community who perform on a regular basis on campus as well as in professional engagements in the Oklahoma City metro area.
Jazz Orchestra
The Jazz Orchestra is OCU's premiere ensemble dedicated to the big band jazz tradition including Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Stan Kenton, Bob Brookmeyer, and many others, in which students learn and perfect the techniques of playing in a large jazz ensemble. Auditions for jazz groups are open to all OCU students regardless of major. Improvisation experience is not required to audition.
Ensemble Placement Auditions
OCU Major Ensembles (Orchestra, Wind Bands, Choirs, Jazz) are open to music majors and non-major students alike.
Ensemble placement is dependent upon the results of ensemble placement auditions, which occur each semester in August and January. Please visit the Ensemble Placement page for more info or contact the Performance Manager, Francisco Venegas ([email protected]).
Jazz Faculty
Vince Norman, the son of big band saxophonist Ray Norman who played with the bands of Claude Thornhill and Charlie Barnett and with Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, has been exposed to music all his life. First introduced to jazz by his Junior High band director, Paul Brewer, Vince was offered his first gig with the Rick Swyden Big Band while still in high school and has been going non-stop ever since.
Originally from Del City, Oklahoma, Vince spent a large portion of his professional career in the Washington DC area both as a freelance musician and as a member of The U.S. Army Field Band, where he first served as a saxophonist with “The Jazz Ambassadors” and later as a member of the arranging staff. Vince has played concert tours in Europe, Japan, India, Mexico and Canada and has played in all 50 states except Alaska. He has performed with such notables as Arturo Sandoval, Clark Terry, Phil Woods, Dave Samuels, Paquito de Rivera, Butch Miles, Marvin Hamlisch, Toots Thielmans, Marvin Stamm, Jamey Aebersold, Hal Linden, Bill Watrous, The Four Tops, The Temptations and Joan Rivers. He has also performed with the National Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony and with the Cincinnati Pops at several venues including Carnegie Hall.
Vince has written numerous pieces for jazz ensemble as well as several orchestral pops commissions for the internationally known Capitol Saxophone Quartet. He performs extensively in the Oklahoma City area on saxophone and keyboards as well as playing either keyboards or drums at church each week. Vince also works as the assistant band director at Del City High School and as the jazz ensemble director at Oklahoma City University.
Vince has released two CDs on OA2 Records as co-leader of the Vince Norman/Joe McCarthy Big Band, "Words Cannot Express" and "Bright Future". He has also written for, performed, and recorded with the Latin jazz group, Afro Bop Alliance with which he played on the 51st Grammy Award Nominated and 9th Latin Grammy Award winning collaboration with Dave Samuels' Caribbean Jazz Project simply entitled "Afro Bop Alliance."
“Waltz of the Flowers” from his most recent arranging collaboration with Afro Bop, “The Pan American Nutcracker Suite,” was nominated for the 2023 Latin Grammy for best arrangement. Vince’s releases as a leader, “Sphericality” and “Vinny’s Garage,” are available through all the main streaming services. Vince is a Cannonball Musical Instruments endorsing artist.
Brian Belanus has made a name for himself as a jazz guitarist, educator, and composer in Oklahoma City since his arrival in 2011. Belanus can be found hosting jam sessions and performing regularly in Oklahoma City’s historic Deep Deuce District, which was once home to jazz guitar pioneer Charlie Christian. His extensive performing experience spans across the state of Oklahoma, which awarded him the opportunity to perform alongside trombone virtuoso Bill Watrous in 2015. His principal instructors include: Bruce Saunders, Danny Vaughan, and trumpeter Lee Rucker, along with classical guitarists Matthew Denman and Dr. Lynn McGrath. His secondary instructors include lessons with jazz guitarist Paul Bollenback and renowned saxophonist Bob Mintzer.
Recently, Belanus was invited to teach a course on jazz improvisation at the Celedonio Romero Guitar Institute hosted at Oklahoma City University. With respect to improvisation Belanus says: “This course develops a strong foundation of fretboard knowledge, which enables students to improvise freely within any stylistic medium on the guitar. In my opinion, improvisation is essential to assisting students in developing their own voice on the instrument.” Belanus applied this philosophy to the course Guitar Improvisation at Oklahoma City University, where Brian serves as Adjunct Instructor of Jazz Guitar and improvisation.
