After 31 years of nurturing jazz voices, University of North Texas voice professor Paris Rutherford is boxing up his sheet music and heading for a retirement that leaves room for music and teaching.

Paris Rutherford

But before he breaks out the boxes, Rutherford will welcome about 80 alumni back to campus for a final concert at 8 p.m. today. Rutherford brought the UNT Jazz Singers up from a fledgling choral ensemble to become one of the best collegiate vocal jazz ensembles in the country since he took a teaching job at the college in 1978.

“When I arrived, there was a class in jingle singing. It was called the Commercial Singers,” Rutherford said. “But that wasn’t what I thought we ought to be doing. So we changed it to Vocal Jazz Singers.”

Rutherford is a respected arranger, and when he arrived at the college, the jazz arranging course was small.

He made a decision that would later cement UNT’s reputation for training some of the most musical singers in the music business.

“I decided that arranging would be required for majors,” he said. “That meant the class grew. The students who are pursuing a degree have to write one big band chart for that class.”

Arranging isn’t something that every singer loves to do, but Rutherford hasn’t taught too many successful students who regret learning to do it.

“When a singer knows how to arrange music, a singer knows how to communicate with an instrumentalist. And the instrumentalists are part of the ensemble,” he said. “You can’t ever forget that if you’re a singer. The better communication you have between singers and instrumentalists, the better performance you’ll get.”

Rutherford has graduates who are excelling in the realms of teaching, performing and recording, and booking and talent management. He declined to name students he’s most proud of.

“Now, I’m not going to get into that, because there are just too many. We’d be here for hours,” he said.

College officials recognize Rutherford’s career as an educational star-turn.

“Paris Rutherford’s retirement marks an enormous milestone in the history of jazz at the University of North Texas,” James C. Scott, dean of the UNT College of Music, wrote in program notes for the concert. “He is revered throughout the musical world for his leadership of the Jazz Singers as the public face of our vocal jazz program. His reputation as an arranger and teacher of composition and arranging has also connected UNT to the entire jazz world.”

Over the years, Rutherford has found that what makes a good singer is in the head as much as in the voice.

“The supportive and wonderful attitudes of the students — both vocal and the instrumentalists — are what creates an ensemble. It really becomes a tight-knit community,” Rutherford said.

Tonight’s concert starts with the UNT Jazz Singers presenting such pieces as the a cappella number “In Walked Bud” and the dreamy ballad “Estate,” followed by the alumni performing in the second half.

The concert ends with the current and former students joining together for two big numbers — Rutherford’s a cappella arrangement of “My Funny Valentine” and “Oleo” by Sarah Tolar.

Rutherford said he’s happy to welcome Gary Eckert and alumna Rosana Eckert back to the stage to perform some of their arrangements.

Rutherford will finish another book in his retirement, compose a work for symphony orchestra and work as a clinician.

He’ll continue to work as an arranger, too. His wife, Lynn, works as a voice-over artist, which will keep the couple near Dallas and other major cities while traveling.

“I don’t mind not going to the office,” Rutherford said. “I do mind not getting to interact with the wonderful students. But I’ve told everyone that we’re not going anywhere.”

LUCINDA BREEDING can be reached at 940-566-6877. Her e-mail address is cbreeding@dentonrc.com .