Earl MacDonald’s seemingly inexhaustible commitment to the jazz art form is apparent in his performing, composing and teaching. The former musical director and pianist for Maynard Ferguson serves as the Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Connecticut and teaches annually at UMass Amherst’s Jazz in July program The Winnipeg native earned a bachelor of music degree in jazz performance at McGill University and a Master’s degree at Rutgers, where he apprenticed with Kenny Barron A recipient of the Sammy Nestico Award for outstanding big band arranging, MacDonald has released seven albums as a bandleader.
