Axe ’Em, Jacks!
NACOGDOCHES, Texas –– Stephen F. Austin State University’s Micky Elliott College of Fine Arts will host a special event celebrating the release of “Mr. Magnetic,” a collaborative jazz album featuring SFA faculty members and acclaimed jazz pianist and composer, Theron Brown. The event will begin with a panel discussion at 2:30 p.m. Nov. 14 in McGee Business Building, Room 133, followed by a behind-the-scenes documentary and live performance at 7:30 p.m. at Turner Auditorium in the Griffith Fine Arts Building. A reception will follow the performance, and all events are free and open to the public.
According to Brown, “Mr. Magnetic” represents acceptance, collaboration and shared purpose.
“I felt it necessary to leave enough space to allow the musicians, producers and engineers to explore, innovate, imagine and create within the space,” Brown said. “This album is special because everyone was invested in the same values. We need more positive vibes in this world, and this project was our way of contributing to that.”
The project brought together James Adams, associate professor and director of SFA’s sound recording technology program; Brown; and Derek Wayne Johnson, assistant director of filmmaking. Adams led the recording and production of the album inside SFA’s state-of-the-art sound recording technology studio, while Johnson directed and produced the documentary that captures the creative process, collaboration and spirit behind the music.
The project marks the first full album produced at SFA using Dolby Atmos technology, the immersive audio system used in major motion pictures and world-class recording studios.
“After many years of anticipation leading to the opening of these studios, being able to work with a dear friend who is also an incredible artist in world-class-level studios was a magical moment for me that I still think about daily,” Adams said. “The fact that we were able to involve students in the production of a professional record is also extra special. This project changed me and everyone involved in a positive way, and you can hear that energy in the music itself.”
Adams, who has researched Dolby Atmos processes extensively, said “Mr. Magnetic” grew from a conversation he had with Brown in 2024.
“I asked Theron, ‘If you know your music could be presented to a listener in three dimensions versus two, would that change the way you play or compose?’
SFA’s studios were built to record and produce music at the highest fidelity level feasible today,” Adams said. “We had every tool we needed and wanted at our disposal to help the artists communicate their musical vision.”
Johnson was invited by Adams and Dr. Gary Wurtz, Micky Elliott College of Fine Arts dean, to document the project and immediately saw its potential.
“When James Adams and Dr. Gary Wurtz approached me about directing and producing a behind-the-scenes documentary about the recording of a jazz album, I immediately jumped at the opportunity,” Johnson said. “As a filmmaker, I love movies about music, and when it comes to documentaries, I love interesting subjects. But when I met Theron Brown and his jazz players, I was compelled to tell this story in a way that captured their musical spirit and his genuine magnetism.”
Johnson hopes the documentary gives audiences an inside look at both the artistry and the human connection that define the project.
“My hope is that audiences will get to know Theron, his jazz players and their musical talents, but also get a warmhearted glimpse into the processes that go into recording a jazz album — and the hard work that James Adams and his team put into the production,” he said.
The album features a lineup of celebrated jazz musicians, including Jon Lampley, trumpet; Chris Coles, saxophone; Jonathon Muir-Cotton, bass; and James Johnson III, drums.
For more information about SFA’s Micky Elliott College of Fine Arts, visit sfasu.edu/cfa.