Jazz Camp Clinicians

Chris Merz, saxophone
Camp Director

A highly sought-after clinician, Chris Merz has adjudicated at festivals in Iowa, Minnesota, Idaho, Colorado, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Virginia, and is the Director of Jazz Studies at UNI. Recent performance experience includes Aretha Franklin, Kenny Wheeler, and Paul McKee, as well as leading his own groups, The X-tet (a 12-piece big band) and Equilateral.

Tom Giampietro, drums

Tom Giampietro is currently on faculty at Vanderbilt University, Middle Tennessee State University, and UNI as drum set instructor. He is also a classroom instructor at the Nashville Jazz Workshop. He has toured or recorded with Jeff Coffin, Liz Johnson, Beegie Adair, Ricky Woodard and the award-winning University of Northern Iowa Jazz Band One.

Chris Buckholz, trombone

Chris Buckholz holds degrees from Wake Forest, Yale, and the University of Michigan. He currently is an Assistant Professor of Trombone at the University of Northern Iowa. He also has been on the faculty at Bowling Green State University and was the lead trombonist for the Army Jazz Ambassadors in Washington, D.C. Buckholz has had an extensive freelance career, performing with Natalie Cole, Tony Bennett, Bob Hope, Smokey Robinson, Vince Gill, and many others. He also toured internationally and recorded with The Four Tops.

Bob Dunn, guitar

UNI's Jazz and Classical Guitar Instructor Robert Dunn also teaches at Grinnell and Wartburg colleges. Mr. Dunn has taught at the UNI Jazz Combo Camp, the SWCC Jazz Camp, and has served as an adjudicator or guest soloist at the Coe Jazz Summit, the Hoover Jazz Festival, and NEIBA and SCIBA jazz contests. He has performed in the pit orchestra for touring productions of Chicago, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, 42nd Street, Copacabana, and Annie. He is an active performer on guitar and electric bass in Northeast Iowa.

Brent Sandy, trumpet

Brent Sandy is an adjunct associate professor on the jazz faculty at the University of Iowa. He has worked as a clinician/ adjudicator/guest artist throughout country and has performed/recorded with numerous notables of the creative music world, including Paul Smoker, Kenny Wheeler, Bobby Shew, Steven Bernstein, Robert Dick, Ray Vega, Billy Higgins, Matt Wilson, “Soundpainter” Walter Thompson, Anthony Cox, Carla Bley, Steve Swallow and Kim Richmond. Brent performs/records with his own groups, the “Brent Sandy and the SandTet” and “OddTones Brass Band”, as well as Anthony Cox and Shovel, the Xtet, the Grismore/Scea Group, Orquesta Alto Maiz and the Cerberus Trio. He has been featured in performance on NPR’s “Jazzset” on two different occasions, as a leader of the OddBar Trio plus Trombone, and as a member of Orquesta Alto Maiz. Brent is on the advisory board of the National Trumpet Competition and Educational Clinician with the Conn/Selmer Company as a Conn “Vintage One” Flugelhorn Artist. Artist. He plays Powell Trumpets exclusively.

Robert Washut, piano

Robert Washut is Professor of Music at the University of Northern Iowa, where he served as Director of Jazz Studies for more than 20 years. An accomplished jazz composer and arranger, Washut has received numerous commissions from collegiate jazz ensembles, professional jazz artists and symphony orchestras. During his 22 years as director of the award-winning UNI Jazz Band One, Washut recorded 11 CDs, toured Europe three times, received numerous "Outstanding Band" recognitions in collegiate jazz festivals throughout the Midwest, and was awarded three "Outstanding Performance" citations in DownBeat's annual Student Music awards. Dr. Washut founded and performs with the Latin jazz band, Orquesta Alto Maiz. In 1996 he was selected as Outstanding Teacher at UNI and in 2003 was inducted into the Iowa IAJE Hall of Fame.

Mark Urness , bass

Mark Urness is a versatile bassist, composer, and educator. His diverse performance experience encompasses orchestral, chamber, jazz, salsa, and solo playing. Recent performances include appearances with Jazz greats Art Lande, Terell Stafford, Wycliffe Gordon, Howard Levy, Russ Johnson, and Joe Locke.  He is heard frequently on Wisconsin Public Radio as a chamber musician and soloist.  He was awarded First Prize in the International Society of Bassists Jazz Competition and performed with Bill Mays and Tim Froncek at the 2001 ISB Convention. Mark is currently an Assistant Professor at Lawrence University in Appleton, WI. Mark received a Master of Music in double bass performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, a Bachelor of Arts in music from the University of Northern Iowa, and studied music and computer science at the University of Iowa.