School of Music's Dailey and Osland perform world premiere at World Sax Congress

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 8, 2024) — University of Kentucky School of Music's Raleigh Dailey, associate professor of jazz studies, and Miles Osland, professor of saxophone and director of jazz studies, performed as the Osland/Dailey Duo for the world premiere of Dailey’s “Triptych.” The piece incorporates sections both written and improvised.

The World Saxophone Congress is a festival that brings together musicians from across the globe. It is held every three years and organized by the International Saxophone Committee. The three-day Congress in the Canary Islands included lectures, masterclasses and concerts.

Osland has distinguished himself as an educator, recording and performing artist, author, arranger and composer. Osland has appeared throughout North and South America, Europe and Asia as a guest conductor, performer and clinician for Selmer (Paris) Saxophones, Jody Jazz Woodwind mouthpieces, and D’Addario woodwind products. His compositions and arrangements, available through IJazz Music, have been recognized and supported by fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Kentucky Arts Council and by numerous other arts foundations.

Sea Breeze Jazz Records, one of the most respected labels in jazz, has submitted nine of his recordings, including "Saxercise" and "My Old Kentucky Home," for Grammy nominations. His recording for Open Loop Jazz Records, "An Old Speckled Hen at Snapes Malting," was inspired by his experiences while performing in England. The debut recording by the Osland Saxophone Quartet has been hailed by the Saxophone Journal as “a great example of the century of music to come,” and was featured on NPR’s nationally syndicated classical radio show "Performance Today." Their latest recording is a 2-CD set titled "Commission Impossible." A masterful compilation, it spans 10 years of music making by OSQ and documents the repertoire written for and commissioned by the quartet.

Three books authored by Osland are available through Dorn Publications and his scholarly work (which includes over 75 published articles and reviews on saxophone technique and jazz improvisation) can be found in a variety of publications including Downbeat, Jazz Educators Journal, Jazz Player Magazine, Saxophone Journal, Selmer Woodwind Notes and Windplayer Magazine. He has three books/CDs published by Warner Brothers titled: "Solo Transcriptions and Performing Artist Master Class CD;" "The Music of Bob Mintzer," "The Music of Nestor Torres" and "The Music of Eddie Daniels."

Osland has released 42 CD recordings during his 35-year tenure at UK. His 43rd recording will be released this fall and will be titled "Collaborations Volume 4: The Music of Raleigh Dailey." This CD will feature all of the music that Dailey has written for Osland.

Raleigh Dailey is an internationally recognized jazz pianist, composer, scholar and educator. He studied at Kent State University, the University of North Texas and the University of Kentucky. Dailey has performed widely throughout the United States, North and South America, Europe and Asia. In 2002, he was selected to perform at the 3rd Annual International Martial Solal Jazz Piano Competition in Paris, France. He is the pianist and staff arranger for the DiMartino/Osland Jazz Orchestra as well as the pianist and composer for the Osland/Dailey Jazztet. The Jazztet has performed most recently at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and the North Sea Jazz festival in Rotterdam, Holland.

Dailey’s works have been performed and recorded by numerous college, university, military and professional jazz ensembles. His most recent chamber works are the Sonata for Alto Saxophone and "Piano and Conversations for Trombone and Piano." He also was the recipient of the Al Smith Fellowship for Musical Composition sponsored by the Kentucky Arts Council. He has published articles in IAJE Research Papers, The Encyclopedia of Appalachia, Saxophone Journal, Jazz Improv Magazine, Music Reference Services Quarterly, Notes and Teaching Music Through Performance In Jazz.

At UK, Dailey currently teaches courses in jazz piano, jazz improvisation and small and large ensembles. Under his direction, the Jazz Ensemble, Lab Band and Jazz Combos have performed nationally at various jazz festivals, including the International Jazz Education Network Conference. His most recent recordings are "What Happened Next" by the Raleigh Dailey Trio and "Measure From Zero" with trumpeter Peter Evans, both on his own label, Llama Records. Other upcoming CD releases include a duo recording with Rui Li and a CD by his free improvising ensemble, raleighllama.