ABOUT

In the summer of 2023, musicians Garrett Fasig and Sam Butler were approached by the Timeless Music Project with an intriguing concept: What if college fight songs were arranged for a jazz ensemble? What would that sound like? This sparked a creative journey that merged two great American traditions—university fight songs and jazz.

From brainstorming to composing, Garrett and Sam spent months reimagining the melodies that embody school pride, while incorporating the improvisational spirit of jazz. Collaborating with their **Visions Jazz Ensemble**, they crafted 12 original arrangements, selecting the finest fight songs and giving them fresh, innovative interpretations that still held the melodies at their core—melodies that alumni and fans cherish for life.

The project premiered to great success in October 2023 at the SILO Club in Indianapolis, which set the stage for the recording of the arrangements in Bloomington, IN, the following March. A standout moment of the project was the inclusion of a special arrangement co-written with renowned trombonist **Wycliffe Gordon**, who not only performed on "Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight," but also offered mentorship and insight to the Visions Ensemble.

The ACROSS THE FIELD project celebrates the nostalgia and excitement of college pride, while introducing new, dynamic renditions of beloved fight songs for listeners to enjoy—bridging the past with the energy of jazz.