University Of Central Oklahoma Jazz lab
The UCO Jazz Lab has three main functions. The UCO Jazz Lab serves three primary functions: As an education facility for jazz studies, as a live music venue that is community-focused, and as a place where you can learn, write, and record music.
EDUCATE: The home of the University of Central Oklahoma School of Music’s Jazz Studies Division. The Lab is used daily by students. The School of Music offers an undergraduate minor in jazz studies, a bachelor of music in jazz performance, and a master of music in jazz studies with majors in performance or music production. All UCO students are welcome to audition for and join our 11 student jazz groups. Find out more
ENTERTAIN: World-class entertainment venue with a relaxed ambience modeled after New Orleans’ jazz clubs. Hideaway Pizza provides food and drinks for the Jazz Lab every week. Find out more
CREATE is a state-of-the-art recording studio that combines educational endeavors with high quality professional mixing, mastering, and duplication of all kinds of commercial audio products. Our facility has undergone a major rebuilding process that included upgrades that have provided our commercial clients and students with the most advanced equipment in Oklahoma. Gary Gabrel, the president of Hideaway Pizza, thought it was a coincidence that the University of Central Oklahoma’s School of Music was searching for a location to house its jazz studies program.
The UCO Foundation gave land on South Litler and Fifth Streets to Mark Neighbors, and Roger Webb, UCO President, began realizing his dream of building a jazz laboratory and an evening performance venue.
Webb felt there was a market for a site which would be used as both a teaching and entertainment facility during the day.
UCO’s jazz studies program has evolved from the original one-man jazz ensemble it was founded by Dr. Kent Kidwell, in the early 1970’s to include six unique combos and four large jazz ensembles. It also offers multiple degrees in jazz studies.
Hideaway Pizza was a perfect partner for a jazz laboratory. The jazz lab was a great place to enjoy pizza and drinks while listening to music, including blues, pop and country bluegrass, bluegrass, classical, ethnic and even Broadway.
Thanks to creative collaborations with the university, UCO Foundation, Neighbor’s Family, the Edmond Economic Authority and the City of Edmond, the Jazz Lab was able to become a reality.
The linkage between Cafe 51, Boulevard Steakhouse and Hideaway Pizza, as well as an evening performance spot, was a natural extension of Edmond’s growing reputation for quality restaurants.
The Central Jazz students were able to use the daytime facility at the start of the spring 2002 semester, when it was opened by Lee Rucker, a long-serving faculty member and jazz musician.
It includes practice rooms, faculty offices and three state-of the-art recording studios. There is also a classroom, box office, seating area, stage and a plaza for outdoor performances.
Hornbeek Larsson Architects’ creative team-David Hornbeek Architects, Tony Blatt, and Allison Perkins-designed Lab to fulfill Webb’s vision of giving the place a look that is a mix between Beale Street in Memphis or the French Quarter in New Orleans.
The Jazz Lab is the realization of a dream. It’s an excellent companion to UCO’s Broadway Tonight and other performances offered by our College of Fine Arts and Design.