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Allan Kaplan, Jim Shearer, Eric Unsworth and Curt Warren playing at St Paul's United Methodist Church in Las Cruces NM 8-31-2009 HD stereo

St. Paul's Past and Present

In April 1888, Judge Joseph R. Boone received a letter from Bishop Eugene R. Hendrix informing him that the Board of Church Extension of The M. E. Church South. had donated $1,000 and granted a loan for an additional $500 for the purpose of building a church in Las Cruces. Approximately 1/2 acre of land was acquired, at the present location of St. Paul's, to build the church. This first church was called the Hendrix Church. It was torn down in 1912 and another larger church was built in its place. This new church was named St. Paul's M. E. Church, South. This church building served the congregation until 1966, when a new sanctuary was built west of the old St. Paul's and the old St. Paul's sanctuary was razed and the bricks were given to Brazito to be used in a church. Since then the music addition was added and then the major upgrade of adding a chapel, commons area, more class rooms and an elevator that permitted access to all of the building, was completed in 2001.South Entrance to St. Paul's

St Paul's United Methodist Church

Dr. Allan Kaplan, , Associate Professor of Trombone and Jazz Studies at New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, is an Edwards clinician and performing artist. A former Principal Trombone of the Oklahoma Symphony and the Goldman Band, he has extensive jazz, classical and commercial performance credits. In addition, Dr. Kaplan has a strong background as a public ­school music educator.He was recently invited to serve as an adjudicator for the GRAMMY Signature Schools program. Look for Dr. Kaplan's chapter on the trombone in the jazz band in the recently published Jazz Pedagogy: The Jazz Educator's Handbook and Resource Guide by Warner Bros., edited by Dr. Willie Hill, Jr. He is a member of ASCAP.

Dr. James Shearer teaches tuba, euphonium, music history and music appreciation to both graduate and undergraduate students at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. In addition, Dr. Shearer presents concerts, master classes, lectures, and has published two music appreciation textbooks with Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company titled Jazz Basics and Classical Basics. An active soloist, Dr. Shearer has appeared throughout the United States in solo recitals and as a guest artist with various wind ensembles and orchestras.

Erik Unsworth joined the music faculty of the University of Texas at El Paso in 2003. He is a Visiting Assistant Professor of String Bass, Electric Bass, and Jazz & Commercial Music studies.

Prior to joining the faculty at UTEP, Mr. Unsworth held faculty positions at the University of Delaware and Kutztown University (PA). He also held a one-year position at Appalachian State University (NC), serving as instructor of Jazz and Music Industry Studies.

A native of Northern New York State, Mr. Unsworth received his Master of Music degree from Indiana University in 1996. While in Bloomington, his primary instructors were Mr. David Baker (jazz studies and Improvisation), Mr. Bruce Bransby (string bass) and Dr. David Dzubay (composition). Mr. Unsworth also holds a Bachelor of Music degree in theory & composition from Appalachian State University, and a technical degree in Studio and Live Recording from New York City’s Institute of Audio Research.

Curt Warren is an active jazz guitarist and has been making a name for himself on the international scene. In 1963, he began his professional career playing the Frankie Laine show in Las Vegas. From 1968 to 1970, Curt played shows in Hawaii including Teresa Brewer, Tony Martin and a televised appearance with the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra. From 1970 to 1972, he was the leader of the El Paso Sheraton house band where he worked with Della Reese, Billy Eckstein, Fran Jefferies, Jerry Van Dyke, Joanne Summers, etc. From 1974 to 1978, he performed with the United States Navy Band, "The Commodores" (the official Navy jazz ensemble) in Washington, DC. While performing with this band, he was a featured soloist at the Newport Jazz Festival, the Midwest Band Convention in Chicago, and at the National Association of Jazz Educators Convention in Dallas, Texas.

In 1978, Mr. Curt Warren began his tenure as a Professor of Guitar at the University of Texas at El Paso, teaching jazz guitar and jazz improvisation, and performing at various functions and concerts at the university. He continues to work with his own trio in jazz clubs in El Paso where he has played with such greats as Herb Ellis, Bill Watrous, Carl Fontana, Rob McConnell, Bud Shank, Eddie Harris, Joe Newman, Tommy Tedesco, Al Viola and others. In 1984 and 1986, He was a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Fellowship Grant.