Compass was organized and based from 1969 through 1973 in Oneonta where the group performed primarily in concert settings at colleges and universities, mostly in New York State. Compass performances featured both original compositions as well the works of many of Americas greatest jazz legends.

 

Fast Facts:

• Compass was 1 of 5 musical groups on a promotional program that opened the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in 1972

• Compass personnel remained unchanged for over 45 years!

• They co-produced the jazz cantata "What Is Man" produced for TV by Iowa Public Broadcasting

 

The quartet personnel was unchanged from 1971 to 2016:

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Rick Lawn [saxophones], Joel Chace [keyboard], Tom Ives [bass] and Albert Colone[drums].

Lawn, a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, has had a stellar career in music teaching that has taken him from the University of Northern Iowa, to being Director of Jazz Studies and chair of the Department of Music at the University of Texas. He now resides in Cherry Hill, NJ and is the former Dean of the College of Performing Arts and Professor Emeritus in the School of Music.

 

Joel Chace, a native of Walton, currently teaches English at the Kent Place School in New Providence, NJ. Joel is a widely published poet and information about his work can be easily found by "Googling" him.

 

Al Colone ran a sport consulting business from Oneonta, his home town where he founded the International Soccer Hall of Fame.

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Tom Ives, a graduate of Potsdam's Crane School of Music, recently retired as a music teacher from Cooperstown CS. Before his tenure at Cooperstown, he produced successful music programs at both Cherry Valley CS and at Draper CS. He and his wife Lorraine are founders of Cherry Valley Designs, producing hand made candles, Shalker furniture, and beautifully loomed quilts and such.

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The band self-produced an album entitled, "Compass Rises" in 1971 that featured original compositions written and arranged by Lawn and Ives. The original tracks are now consider vinyl collector’s items by some and have been highly sought after. Because of the demand for this recording it has been be reissued on LP by Frederiksberg Records with original artwork, new photos and history of the band. An Italian company Minotau Records has licensed the recording and reissued it on CD.