Dr. Arthur White

Director of Jazz Performance Studies

Dr. Arthur White is the director of jazz studies and assistant professor of music at the University of Missouri. Originally from Kansas, Dr. White received a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Emporia State University (KS), a Master of Music in Jazz Pedagogy from West Virginia University, and the Doctor of Musical Arts in Saxophone Performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. His primary teachers include Dr. Steven Stusek, Paul Scea, Curtis Johnson, and Branford Marsalis. His dissertation is an examination of the harmonic improvisation style of jazz saxophonist Joe Henderson.

Prior to his appointment at MU, Dr. White was the director of jazz studies at Northeastern State University (OK). During his tenure at NSU, Dr. White produced five critically acclaimed CDs with the NSU Jazz Ensemble and some of the top performers in jazz. NSU named Dr. White as a Centurion, signifying him as one of the 100 most influential people in the university’s history. He was also named the 2007 Oklahoma Jazz Educator of the Year by the Oklahoma Jazz Educators Alliance. Dr. White has also taught at UNCG, WVU, Frostburg State University (MD), and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Emerging nationally as a saxophonist, composer, arranger and educator, Dr. White has recorded with Fred Wesley, Chris Murrell, Scott Wendholt, Bobby Watson, Henry Johnson, Robin Eubanks, Russell Malone, and jazz legend Dewey Redman. White has arranged music for jazz luminaries Mike Mainieri, Peter Erskine, Eric Person, Mulgrew Miller, Kevin Mahogany, Henry Johnson, Dewey Redman, Scott Wendholt, Bobby Watson, Bob Mintzer, Robin Eubanks, Kathy Kosins, Paul Hanson, Russell Malone, Bob Sheppard, Andy Narell, and Randy Brecker. White is published by Second Floor Music, through Hal Leonard, Inc.

Recently, Dr. White has performed with Russell Malone, Bob Sheppard, Randy Brecker, Kristin Chenoweth, Amici New York Orchestra, the RA Ensemble, Byron Stripling, and as an invited performer at conferences for the North American Saxophone Alliance, International Society for Improvised Music, and Oklahoma Music Educators Association. He has performed with hundreds of nationally acclaimed jazz, pop, and country artists, and his arrangements and original compositions have been performed by high school and college jazz ensembles throughout the country. White is a member of the Jazz Education Network, International Society for Improvised Music, North American Saxophone Alliance, Music Educators National Conference, Missouri Music Educators Association, College Music Society, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Kappa Kappa Psi.

Tom Andes

Adjunct Instructor of Jazz Piano

Tom Andes, adjunct professor of jazz, teaches Jazz Piano Class and private jazz piano lessons at the University of Missouri. He holds a degree in Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from the University of Missouri, and graduated from the prestigious Berklee College of Music with a degree in Jazz Piano Performance. He has studied privately with distinguished jazz masters, including Joanne Brakeen, James Williams, Kenny Werner and Jerry Bergonzi.

Mr. Andes is also on the music faculty at Stephens College and the Musical Director for Stephens Musical Theatre productions. For the past 20 years he has taught vocal and instrumental music privately and in the classroom. In addition to judging high school jazz competitions, Tom also teaches instrumental jazz clinics throughout the Midwest. His original compositions have been used on television, radio and various websites regionally and nationally. The Missouri Contemporary Ballet recently choreographed and performed works based on five of Tom's compositions on their Live ballet, which ran at the Missouri Theater in 2009. He has been commissioned by the Missouri Contemporary Ballet to write a string quartet for the upcoming Tennessee Williams Festival at the University of Missouri. Tom has been Musical Director for the Okoboji Summer Theatre in Okoboji Iowa for the past three summers.

The Tom Andes Trio is the house band at Murry's Restaurant in Columbia, Missouri for the past 15 years. The trio performs around the Midwest at jazz festivals, concerts, and private functions. Tom has performed with artists such as Buddy DeFranco, Clark Terry, Conrad Herwig, Terell Stafford, and the Tommy Dorsey Band. His fifth CD, Here to Stay, was released in Fall 2006 and the newest CD, One Thousand Sets, was released in 2008. Tom is a founding member of the MU Faculty Jazz Combo, and has performed and toured with the group extensively.

Allen Beeson

Adjunct Instructor of Jazz Trumpet

Allen Beeson, adjunct professor of jazz trumpet at MU, received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from The University of Missouri, where he studied trumpet with teachers Purris Williams, Dr. Alex Pickard, Robert Merriman and Dr. Betty Scott. Upon graduation, Allen studied for several years with the legendary jazz musician Bobby Shew, and maintains a close friendship with the icon to this day.

As a professional trumpeter and musician, Beeson has thrived in the in the jazz, commercial music and big band idioms, where he is a first-call musician in the region on either lead, section, or jazz chairs. Allen's first recording as a leader is entitled First Time Out, features seven original tunes, and was released in 2005 on the Chase Music record label. Allen is a featured soloist on the Jim Widner Big Band recording, Out of This World, and is playing lead trumpet on the Les Brown Band from the Lettermen's recording, New Directions 2010. He can be heard in a rock band setting on The Dynamics recording, Man Insane. Other recent appearances are the Hennessy Brothers recording, Chunky, and with Randy Hamm on his upcoming release, Yellow Cadenza.

Allen has performed with acclaimed jazz artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Louis Bellson, Bobby Shew, Conte Condoli, Pete Christlieb, John Faddis, Conrad Herwig, Marvin Stamm, John Fedchock, Gary Foster, Bill Watrous and Bobby Watson. Allen has also performed with legendary entertainers such as Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Bob Hope, Tom Jones, Mel Torme, Jack Jones, Olivia Newton-John, Bob Newhart, Frank Gorshin, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Jan & Dean, The Beach Boys and The Manhattan Transfer.

For the past seven years, Allen has been associated with the Yamaha Corporation as a Yamaha Trumpet Performing Artist. In addition to leading his own small jazz groups, Allen performs regularly with The Jim Widner Big Band, The St. Louis Jazz Orchestra, COJO (the Columbia Jazz Orchestra), Lenny Klinger's Galaxy bands and The Norm Ruebling Band. Allen is also committed to jazz education, and is a sought-after clinician and adjudicator at festivals throughout the area.

Loyd Warden

Adjunct Instructor of Drumset

Loyd Warden, adjunct professor of drumset at the University of Missouri, has lived and performed in cities all around the United States and has toured internationally extensively. He grew up in Kansas City, MO., and began playing professionally at the age of fifteen. His first national touring experience was at age nineteen. He lived in Houston, TX for two years before entering the jazz performance program at William Paterson University.

Loyd lived and worked extensively for many years in Memphis, TN. He developed a sterling reputation upon his arrival, performing with well-known blues and jazz artists such as Buddy Guy, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Ann Peebles, George Coleman, Kevin Paige, Johnny Johnson, Jairo Wilkins and Calvin Owens. While in Memphis, Warden performed with hundreds of acclaimed touring/recording artists, including Sting, Steve Winwood, Donald 'Duck' Dunn, Steve Cropper, and Wilson Pickett. Loyd joined the band of Memphis jazz and blues icon, trumpeter Ben Cauley, who performed with the original Otis Redding Group and recorded many of the rhythm and blues hits during the early sixties.

Loyd now lives in Columbia, MO, where he still performs regularly with many diverse musical groups. The MU Faculty Jazz Quartet, the Hilary Scott Band, Tom Andes, and the Banana Oil Pan Band are just a few of the artists performs with. Loyd is finishing a Ph.D. in Music Education at the University of Missouri. Loyd has an MM from MU, and a BME from Central Methodist University. Loyd is a dedicated teacher committed to furthering jazz education in Missouri.

Loyd has studied drum set with Joe Porcaro, Ken Watson, Roger Griffey, John Cushon, Todd Strait, Ed Soph, Steve Houghton, Gary Chaffee, José Aponte, Dr. Dennis Rogers, Gary Chester, Steve Ferrone and John Riley.