Askew Joins Jazz Faculty

            C. E. Askew has literally seen the world as a jazz musician, performing with a legendary list of entertainers, including Tony Bennett, Herbie Hancock and Shaka Khan.

            His jazz pedigree includes more than 21 years as the drummer for what many consider the world’s finest military jazz ensemble, the U.S. Air Force’s “Airmen of Note.” Askew spent his last six years in the Air Force as the band’s leader and now brings that pedigree to the jazz faculty at the University of Arkansas at Monticello.

            UAM is one of two universities in Arkansas offering a bachelor’s degree in music with a concentration in jazz studies and the only school in Arkansas with six jazz ensembles – three full-size jazz bands and three combos.. The program was created by Gary Meggs, UAM’s director of bands and a jazz musician of note who took a recent six-month sabbatical to tour the world as a guest performer with the Glenn Miller Orchestra.

            When Meggs decided to add a new jazz percussion instructor, he looked up Askew, a friend he’s known since the two were aspiring 16-year-old high school musicians. Askew was teaching music in Christchurch, New Zealand and ready to come home after living through a series of earthquakes that rocked the island nation.

            A native of Brinkley, Askew is a visiting professor and director of Jazz Band 3, one of three UAM jazz ensembles.

            “C. E. brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our jazz studies program,” says Meggs. “He’s a world-class musician and someone who I thought would be a fantastic addition to our faculty.”

            A graduate of Henderson State, Askew spent 25 years in the Air Force. He joined the Airmen of Note in 1983, an ensemble that traces its roots to the big band era of World War II. The group was officially formed on September 28, 1950, to carry on the musical style and tradition of Major Glenn Miller’s Army Air Corps Orchestra of the 1940s.

            As part of the Airmen of Note, Askew has performed all over the United States and Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Panama, Uruguay, England, Luxembourg, Germany and Turkey, appearing with jazz legends like Bobby Shue, Diane Schuur, and Arturo Sandoval. Following a concert with the Count Basie Orchestra in which the two bands took turns performing, the legendary Basie pointed at the Airmen and said, “That band is a gas.”

            Askew’s biggest thrill came in 2002 when the Airmen of Note were sent to the Middle East to perform for military personnel in Quatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain. “That was the greatest moment of my career,” says Askew.

            “Those are the kinds of experiences that make C. E. such a valuable addition to our faculty,” says Meggs. “He’s performed with legends on some of the biggest stages in the world. We are very fortunate to have him.”