Gulf Coast Ethnic and Heritage Jazz Festival 2007

GCEH JAZZ CLINICIANS

Lawrence E. Young, Jr. is the Band Director of Booker T. Washington High in Pensacola, Florida. He touts impressive informal music experience as well as formal education credentials, not the least of which includes a baccalaureate degree from The University of West Florida.  His percussive focus has included gospel, rhythm and blues, multi-ethnic chorales, rock and, Jazz.  

Shane! Shane! Shane! is the lead vocalist, guitarist and leader of Shane! Shane! Shane!, a local jazz and variety dance band. Shane! has been performing since the age of 3 in venues that range from off-Broadway productions and television broadcasts to nightclubs, restaurants, and music festivals. Shane! Shane! Shane! performed at the Jazz In The Pass jazz Festival in Pass Christian, Mississippi.  She has coached many aspiring vocalists during the GCEH jazz festival workshops for the past several years.  

Jermaine English A Mobile native, he began playing trumpet at age 11.  His first big influence on trumpet was Louis Armstrong.  He now attends the University of South Alabama working on his Bachelors of Science degree in music education.  Jermaine is a member of two local bands; "Something Special" and "Powerhouse".  

Harry E. Anderson, Sr., bassist - is the director of Jazz Studies at Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA. He has performed on the East Coast, in New York City, and Lincoln Center, plus an appearance on the “Tonight Show.“

He’s a veteran of jazz festivals, including the Montreux Jazz Festival, and festivals in Japan, Canada, Europe, and the Caribbean.  He has performed with many of the jazz greats, including Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Ellis Marsalis, Max Roach, Ray Bryant, Jimmy Heath, and Nat Adderly.  

Jordache Grant born on “The Island of the Shallow Sea (Bahamas)”, he is a superb pianist trained in the European Classics.  Grant currently lives in Pensacola Florida.  At his alma mater - the University of West Florida - Jordache performed in the UWF Jazz Band.    He teachers Jazz Music Education at Booker T. Washington High School and is band director at The Redeemer Lutheran School, also in Pensacola.  

Sharon Moore, born in Alabama, began her musical career in her teens in San Antonio, Texas.  Sharon composed music and performed throughout San Antonio, Austin, Dallas and Nashville. She has recorded jingles, including spots for Pepsi, Frito-Lay, Taco Bell, Wendy's, Lever Brothers, Sharp Electronics and Southwest Conference Football.  Sharon made Nashville home in 1991 and performed regularly with her jazz group ColorWheel. She has performed for the Tennessee Jazz and Blues Society's popular "Ladies of Jazz" show.  "A Moment More" is Ms. Moore's second recording project. The first was Particular People, a 1981 album of story-songs written by Donald Ashwander.  

Theodore Arthur started on saxophone at age 16, playing in nightclubs in Mobile and Prichard. He played with the Junior Parker band, accompanied Bobby Blue Bland and Johnny Taylor on many stages during the 1960's. He also played with Aretha Franklin prior to moving back to Mobile and starting a 14-member band. He now accompanies himself with a computer that mixes various instruments. Since 1980, he handles his own bookings and controls his own record label, Castanet Records. He also has his own publishing company, Prichard Music Co.  

Joseph Mitchell has performed on jazz sets and in jazz club environments in United States and internationally.  He and his band, Suite, have provided opening performances for such noted artists as Dizzy Gillespie, Bobby Humphrey, Ramsey Lewis, Count Basie, Ray Charles, Spyro Gyra, Betty Carter, Nancy Wilson, and Lou Rawls.  He has performed with Gladys Knight & The Pips, The E. B. Coleman Orchestra, The Atlanta Symphony, The Atlanta University String and Reeds Ensemble, the Mobile Pop Symphony and the Mobile Jazz Festival All-Stars.  Joseph plays many varieties of flute including the C and alto flute and South American, Japanese and African bone flutes.  

“JazzIn' the Schools”

An Arts in Education Project  

“JazzIn’ the Schools” is an Arts in Education project produced by the Gulf Coast Ethnic & Heritage Jazz Festival, Inc. The pilot program was produced in cooperation with the National Endowment for the Arts, the Alabama State Council on the Arts, the Mobile Arts Council, the Mobile County Public School System, the Alabama School of Math and Science.  This distinguished group of collaborators has been joined by the Sybil H. Smith Charitable Trust as a key sponsor. 

Jazz Music is America’s original Art form. Jazz Music performance can be a tremendously inspiring supplement to grade-school training and education. 

"JazzIn’ the Schools" demonstrates, among other things, improvisation, spontaneous composition and thematic arrangement because that is a significant part of what Jazz Music is. 

JazzIn’ the Schools places Jazz Musicians and their preferred performance instrument into targeted school and allow students to hear directly from the musicians, their own ‘stories’ and history about their Art, profession and associated motivations and artistic discipline. 

Their unique Jazz Music talents and professional experiences make them excellent ambassadors for the Performing Fine Arts in general and for Jazz Music Education specifically. 

Through "JazzIn’ the Schools" GCEH seeks to support America’s original and unique Performing Art – Jazz Music – through support of its practitioners – Jazz Musicians. 

The format of “JazzIn’ the Schools” will promote greater future patronage for the Performing Arts.