Paris Rutherford
Paris Rutherford is considered one of the top vocal jazz arrangers in the country today. His arrangements focus carefully on singability in the lyric and voice leading, and are crafted to bring an unusual touch to the music. Mr. Rutherford is Professor in Jazz Studies at the University of North Texas, where he directs the award-winning UNT Jazz Singers and teaches courses in jazz arranging, song writing, and broadcast music. He also heads the degree program in vocal jazz. Under Rutherford's direction, the Jazz Singers have performed for the International Association for Jazz Education, Music Educators National Conference, American Choral Directors Association, and many jazz festivals around the country, as well as for the summer vocal jazz workshop, held annually on the UNT campus. Their recordings are heard on six CDs. Paris Rutherford brings a wealth of experience to his vocal jazz writing. A former member of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Dallas Summer Musicals (trombone), and long experience as performer, composer and producer in the recording studios of Dallas, Los Angeles, London, England, and Cologne, Germany, his arrangements reflect the diversity of those varied activities. He is in demand as a clinician in vocal jazz, both as a director and as a writer. With degrees of Bachelor and Master of Music from Southern Methodist University, he enjoys living in Denton, Texas with his wife Lynne.
