UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA LAS VEGAS JAZZ ENSEMBLE 1, Let the Good Times Roll

When UNLV Jazz Ensemble 1 tells us via the title of their stellar, high octane, spiritedly arranged album that it’s time to Let the Good Times Roll, it’s with great reason. Among other accolades, they’re celebrating the milestone achievement of earning 50 Downbeat Student Music Awards since 2010, including the prestigious the Large Jazz Ensemble Category.

Presented by the UNLV School of Music, Division of Jazz and Commercial Music, the 12-track, 65 minute triumphant set features over nearly 30 student performers, a large handful of guest jazz luminaries (including vocalists Clint Holmes and Naomi Mauro, trombonist Curt Miller and baritone saxophonist Adam Schroeder) and a supercharged playlist full of classics and several outstanding spirited compositions by students, including gems by drummer Mateo Hurtado de Mendoza (“The Collective”) and pianist Tristan Selzer (the dramatic closer “Finale”).

Complementing the originals are the band’s boisterous arrangements (by the likes of Gordon Goodwin, Kirby Galbraith, et al) of the aesthetic setting opening title track and classics by Ellington (“Chinoserie,” “Braggin’ N’ Brass”), Jerry Bock (“Too Close for Comfort”), Johnny Mandel (“Emily”) and many others. It’s a fun frolicsome recording showcasing the grandeur and originality of one of the country’s most acclaimed jazz programs.