My Favorite Things, the 2026 release from UNLV Jazz Ensemble I, is a showcase of just how far a college jazz program can reach. Recorded during the 2025–26 academic year under director David Loeb and released in August 2026, the album pairs the ensemble with guest vocalist Clint Holmes alongside vocalist Eva Yazdanpanah. The band’s trumpet section is led by Brandon O’Donohue, with Isaac Garza, Kyte Mettke, Miles Ray, London Rodriguez, and David Nguyen, while the trombones are led by Dylan Musso, joined by Matt Ellis, Colin Marks, and Kirby Galbraith on tenor and bass trombone. Across eight tracks, the record moves fluidly between vocal standards and full-ensemble showcases, and it leaves little doubt why UNLV’s jazz program is regarded as among the finest in the country.

My Favorite Things opens the record with a surprise: the voice itself is treated as a percussive instrument before the band settles into the familiar melody, with Clint Holmes delivering the classic lyric.

Angel Eyes hands the spotlight to Eva Yazdanpanah, who uses the song as an opportunity to explore her upper range to impressive effect.

Whirlybird is a real chance for the band to show off, built on tight arrangements and cohesive section work, while also opening the door for individual instrumentalists to step into the spotlight.

Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise brings Eva Yazdanpanah back on vocals. It’s on this track that the sheer level of the playing really lands: UNLV is renowned as among the best jazz schools in the world, but it’s still striking to hear just how top-notch every player is.

Just Squeeze Me is a spectacular arrangement, one that unfolds like fireworks in the night sky, each burst fading just as another pops up in a different color, one continuous, cascading effect running through the music.

Flying Dragons is built around a sophisticated piano part that sits at the very heart of the song.

If Only My Heart Could Speak is another vocal feature for Eva Yazdanpanah, and here it’s the composition itself that impresses as much as the arrangement and musicianship, a genuinely great song that elevates the performance around it.

Tell Me a Bedtime Story has an inventive, enticing engine of its own and is simply fun to listen to, like a good bedtime story you don’t want to end.

Cherokee closes the album with one more showcase of the band’s soloists, with standout playing from the trumpets, trombone, and baritone sax.

Taken as a whole, My Favorite Things is the epitome of impressive ensemble work: tight, inventive arrangements, standout solo turns, and two vocalists, Clint Holmes and Eva Yazdanpanah, who bring real depth to the material. It’s a record that speaks to just how much talent runs through UNLV’s jazz program, and it leaves little doubt that these students have promising careers ahead.