“Jonas is a perceptive soloist who knows his chord changes…” - Jack Bowers, AllAboutJazz.com
A trumpeter, composer, and educator, Dr. Daniel Jonas is currently Associate Professor of Music and Music Program Director at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, where he directs the Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combos, and teaches all jazz curriculum. He also teaches History of Rock and Roll, Music Theory, and Trumpet. His prior teaching experience includes Sacramento State University (Jazz Trumpet, Jazz History, and Jazz Pedagogy) and Cosumnes River College (Trumpet).
A native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Dr. Jonas received his D.M.A. in Jazz Studies from the University of Colorado in 2013, where he studied with Brad Goode and Dr. John Davis. While a student at the University of Colorado, Dr. Jonas was chair of the Coalition for Creative Music, a student group that presented concerts featuring notable jazz artists including Dave Douglas, John Swana, Jane Ira Bloom, Gretchen Parlato, and many others. In 2005, Dr. Jonas earned a Master’s Degree in Jazz Studies from DePaul University and studied under Dr. Robert Lark, and in 2007 he earned a Performance Certificate with a focus in Jazz Composition, studying with Thomas Matta. Dr. Jonas graduated from the University of New Mexico in 2003 with a Bachelor’s in Trumpet Performance, studying with Glenn Kostur and Jeff Piper.
In addition to his educational pedigree, Dr. Jonas performs often in and around the Salt Lake City area. He can be heard performing regularly with the Night Star Jazz Orchestra and Hot House West, in addition to performing freelance with many other groups. He has also performed with and accompanied Maria Schneider, Dave Liebman, Jon Faddis, Nnenna Freelon, Andy Laverne, Nick Smart, Bobby Shew, Butch Miles, Phil Woods, Slide Hampton, Jim McNeely, Denis DiBlasio, Steve Wiest, James Moody, Marvin Stamm, Randy Hamm, Walter White, Ernie Watts, Dave Pietro, Jeff Jarvis, John Fedchock, Chris Vadala, The New York Voices, Jim Pugh, Shelly Berg, Ed Soph, Maynard Ferguson, Aretha Franklin and many others. A lead trumpeter and soloist, Dr. Jonas has performed with numerous professional groups around the country, including the Ben Markley Big Band, the Albuquerque Jazz Orchestra, the Sacramento Jazz Orchestra, the Cunha Big Band, the Mike Butera Big Band, the Colorado Composers Big Band, the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, the Buddy Project Big Band, the Michael Lerich Orchestra, Bob Lark’s Alumni Big Band, and the Andrew Stonerock Quintet. He has also performed as a featured guest artist at several festivals including the Kinser Jazz Festival, the New Mexico Music Educator’s Association All-State Conference, the Midwest Clinic, the Jazz Education Network Conference, the Telluride Jazz Festival, the Vail Jazz Festival, the Moab Music Festival, and many others. International performing credits include touring northern Italy with the DePaul Jazz Ensemble in 2005 and touring Guatemala as part of the Guatemala Jazz Festival in 2015 and 2016.
Dr. Jonas’s most recent recording, titled Folk Songs, was premiered at the Bonneville Chamber Music Festival in late 2021 and is currently available in limited physical release. Folk Songs features Jonas’s original arrangements of classic folk pieces from America, Britain, Ireland, and Mexico, written for cello quartet and trumpet. In 2019 he released an album of all of his own original compositions entitled The Spirituality Suite which is available on all streaming services. He also appears on the albums Patron Saint Django and Django in Orbit by Hot House West. Among Dr. Jonas's other recording credits are several albums released on the Jazzed Media label, including the albums Reunion and Sweet Return by Bob Lark and his Alumni Big Band, and That Being Said by the DePaul University Jazz Ensemble featuring Jim McNeely, which includes Dr. Jonas's composition "Platitude." Other albums on which Dr. Jonas has appeared include Swingchronicity by the DePaul University Jazz Ensemble with Phil Woods, Fandango by the University of New Mexico Wind Symphony featuring Phil Smith and Joe Alessi, and Pavlov's Waterfall by the Andrew Stonerock Quintet.