Enjoy this performance from almost anywhere in the world viaLIVE@jacobs!About the ArtistsNatalie Boeyink, bassist and educator, serves as associate professor of music jazz studies at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. After earning her doctorate in music education at the Jacobs School in 2015, Boeyink spent eight years as a jazz lecturer and senior lecturer in the University of North Carolina system. She earned an M.M. in Jazz Performance at the University of Louisville and a B.M. in Jazz Studies at Jacobs. Her interest in the educational experiences and careers of jazzwomen has launched a series of research projects, conference presentations and publications, including her dissertation, "An Analysis and Description of Female Jazz Instrumentalists." An advocate for jazzwomen, Boeyink served as chair of the Jazz Education Network's Women in Jazz Committee and worked to reestablish the Sisters in Jazz Collegiate Combo Competition. Batuquê Trio is Boeyink's seasoned collaboration with drummer Andy Smith and pianist Jamaal Baptiste. Focusing on contemporary Brazilian, Afro-Cuban, and Caribbean jazz, the trio frequently appears at jazz festivals as performers and clinicians. Their first CD, Transparency, was released in 2015. A second album is forthcoming in 2024. Some of Boeyink's notable performances include appearances with Tammy McCann, Jamie Baum, Ingrid Jensen, Terri Lyne Carrington, Christine Jensen, Leni Stern, Jovino Santos Neto, Joe Piscopo, David "Fathead" Newman, Jon Hendricks, Jeff Coffin, David Liebman, and Lorraine Feather.Greg Ward is associate professor of music in jazz studies at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. A saxophonist and composer born in Peoria, Illinois, Ward has performed and recorded with a varied group of artists, such as Prefuse 73, Lupe Fiasco, Tortoise, William Parker, Makaya McCraven, Linda Oh, and Mike Reed. As a bandleader, Ward has produced four recordings, including Fitted Shards: South Side Story, Phonic Juggernaut, Touch My Beloved's Thought, and Rogue Parade: Stomping Off from Greenwood. As a composer, he has received commissions from the Jazz Gallery in New York City, Chicago Jazz Institute, City of Chicago's Made in Chicago: World Class Jazz Series, and the Peoria Ballet Company. He was awarded the New Music USA Van Lier Fellowship in 2012 and an Individual Artists Program grant by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events in 2017. Ward maintains an active international touring schedule with various ensembles. Although it may appear Walter Smith III is a new voice on the scene, he is widely recognized as an adept performer, accomplished composer, and inspired educator. Smith's recent release, return to casual, garnered critical acclaim from audiences and critics alike. In September of 2024, Smith released his sophomore album, three of us are from Houston and Reuben is not, on Blue Note Records, featuring a new offering of original music. In March of this year, he reprised his acclaimed TWIO concept with the release of TWIO Vol. 2. Smith has developed under the wings of many of the music's greats. He is or has been a member of several influential groups (recording and/or touring), including the Roy Haynes Fountain of Youth Band, Terence Blanchard Quintet, Eric Harlands Voyager, Bill Stewart Trio, Jason Moran's In My Mind: Monk at Town Hall, Ambrose Akinmusire Quintet, the Christian McBride Situation, Marquis Hill's New Gospel Revisited, Gerald Clayton Quintet, the Christian Scott Group, and the Sean Jones Quintet, to name a few. Smith has performed worldwide, participating in virtually every international festival and famed venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Village Vanguard, and the Kennedy Center. He has shared the stage and/or appeared on recordings with a host of important artists, including Mulgrew Miller, Billy Childs, Terri Lyne Carrington, Joe Lovano, Herbie Hancock, Maria Schneider, Ron Carter, Ralph Peterson, and many others. To date, Smith has appeared on over 100 recordings that have been released worldwide. Originally from Houston, Texas, he now resides in Boston, Massachusetts, and is chair of woodwinds at Berklee College of Music, helping to prepare the next generation of young artists.