Upside Out

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Upside Out
Studio album by Riverside City College Jazz Ensemble and combo
Released	December 2, 2003
Recorded	2002/2003, Riverside, CA Austin, TX
Genre	Jazz, big band, instrumental
Length	73:44
Label	Sea Breeze Vista Jazz
Producer	Charlie Richard
Riverside City College Jazz Ensemble and combo chronology
Upside Out (2003) Minor Case of the Blues (2010)
cat. # Sea Breeze Jazz-Vista SBV 4554

Upside Out is a CD by the Riverside City College Jazz Ensemble and combo; this was released in 2003 on the Sea Breeze Vista Jazz label. Critic Jack Bowers notes, "A consistently rewarding album by top-drawer college-level jazz ensemble and trio."^[1] Most notably, the CD continues to receive airplay through the country due to the high acclaim of the music on the recording.^[2][3][4]

The Riverside City College Jazz Ensemble has been existence for over 40 years. The combos are subgroups of the larger ensemble. The 2003 CD Upside Out is a by product of the consistency the jazz studies department at Riverside City College maintains. Full-time students make up the personnel of the performing groups and keep a busy schedule of performances and recording dates.^[5] In addition to producing the CD Upside Out (and others), RCC jazz groups have also toured to UNC Greeley, Reno, the University of Texas Jazz Festivals, and have also toured to Japan and Hawaii. The group finished first place in the 2 year Big Band division at the 2010 University of Nevada, Reno Jazz Festival.^[5] Guest artists with this groups in recent years have included Carl Saunders, James Moody, Bob McChesney, Mike Stern, Poncho Sanchez, Gary Foster, Alex Iles, Brandon Fields, The Airmen of Note, Bill Reichenbach, Lanny Morgan, Kye Palmer, Kim Richmond, and Rick Margitza.^[5] The ensemble also commissions a new works for Jazz Ensemble each spring. Recent commissions have come from noted jazz writers Bob Curnow, Jack Cooper (composed title track from Upside Out), David Caffey, Matt Harris, James Miley, Glenn Morrissette, Steven Schmidt and Sandy Megas.^[5]

The music from the CD was played several times on tour with the RCC Jazz Ensemble to include a concert tour of Japan and performances at the Reno Jazz Festival and I.A.J.E. Convention. The CD was distributed throughout the United States to radio stations, 91.3 KVLU-NPR reported on their January 2004 playlist that Upside Out received "heavy" play, which was not an uncommon reception for the CD.^[6]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic Guide	[7]
All About Jazz	(very positive)[1]
Jazz Journal International[8]	(very positive)[8]

The CD was critically acclaimed and has continued to receive airplay throughout the country with jazz disc jockeys due to the high level of the music and musicianship on the CD. There are numerous examples of this ongoing airplay with jazz stations such as WBIO (IN), WPKN (CT), WAER (NY), and KSDS (CA).^[2][3][4][9]

"...In other words, this set of post-bop jazz is on a higher level than nearly all other college recordings, and the musicians sound as if they are 30 rather than 20. Sea Breeze, a label that has extensively documented college and high-school bands, has a strong winner in Upside Out."

Scott Yanow, Allmusic Guide

• Tracks 1-8 - 2002/2003, recorded at Riverside Community College, Riverside, CA (in studio)
• Track 9 - 2003 Longhorn Jazz Festival, Austin, TX (live)

• Are We There Yet? is published by Sierra Music Publications OCLC 31705699, 221634750
• Upside Out was commissioned by the Riverside City College Jazz Ensemble, Charlie Richard - director and is published by UNC Jazz Press
• Widow's Walk is published by UNC Jazz Press
• Nasty Dance is published by Kendor Music Publications OCLC 220131842

• Conductor: Charlie Richard
• Saxes and woodwinds: Travis Alegria, Kelly Corbin, Ioana Fleming, Jason Jamerson, Demetrius Patin, Bill Preci, Trevor Shiffermiller, James Reinbolt, Jaime Royal, Gerry Whitaker
• Trumpets and flugelhorns: Everardo Aguilar, Kinkch Degrate, Paul Karandos, Tatsuya Koyama, Brian Mantz, Don Marino II, Carlos Villa, Kevin Young
• Trombones: Dan Bigler, Diane Bigler, Rick Covarubias, Frank Hickman, Joe Martinez, Marcos Rodriguez, Nicholas Terwilliger, Aaron Wharton
• Guitar: James DePrato, Josh Miller, Erin Von Pingle
• Piano: David Peoples, Erin Von Pingle
• Bass: Bill Dickson, Shane Jordan, Ferrari Watts
• Drums: Jon McCammon, Dan Rocadio, Chad Villarreal
• Percussion: Michael Gaylord, Anna Perotta, Angela Thomas

• Recording engineer, mixing: Charlie Richard
• Mastering: D.J. Alverson
• Liner notes: David Caffey
• Cover art and graphic design: Joan Rovan Wales

• Riverside City College

• Upside Out at AllMusic
• Upside Out at MusicBrainz
• Upside Out and Riverside City College Jazz Ensemble at JazzTimes.com
• OCLC 819411124
• Riverside City College Jazz