This author has yet to write their bio.Meanwhile lets just say that we are proud Galen Demus contributed a whooping 40 entries.
New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) is a regional, pre-professional arts training center that offers students intensive instruction in several disciplines, including jazz. NOCCA was founded in 1973, and some of its distinguished alumni include Terrence Blanchard, Harry Connick Jr., Donald Harrison, Trombone Shorty and Jonathon Batiste just to name a few. For the […]
The annual Jazz Education Network conference (JEN) in New Orleans proved to be a great start for jazz education and promoting the Strayhorn legacy. The conference bought together 3,000+ exhibitors, music artists, students and jazz educators in the “Big Easy”. There were over 250 jazz clinics, presentations and music performances over 4 days in January. […]
Billy Strayhorn Songs Inc., with the support of The Delta Beta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, presented a multi-media lecture on the life and legacy of Billy Strayhorn November 1st, 2019 at the Chandler Center for the Arts in Phoenix, Arizona. Along with the presentation, artwork from Phoenix area youth, under the direction […]
Founded in 1997, Litchfield Jazz Camp serves about 300 residential and day students during a month-long program on the campus of the Gunnery School in Washington, Connecticut. Run by Litchfield Performing Arts (estb. 1981), a charitable organization dedicated to changing lives through music, the Camp’s philosophy is simple. They start with a faculty of amazing […]
A mural honoring jazz great Billy Strayhorn has been completed in downtown Hillsborough, North Carolina. Max Dowdle, the artist behind the mural, worked with Volume Records co-owner Tony Lopez on the design for the mural, which they named “Take the A Train”, one of Strayhorn’s most well-known compositions. Hillsborough Mayor Tom Stevens hopes to see […]
A renovation project to restore a piece of Hillsborough’s history, will be done by a local artist. It will be the first downtown mural: a tribute to jazz pianist and composer Billy Strayhorn. Artist Max Dowdle reached out to the town about painting a mural, economic development planner Shannan Campbell said. The mural, “Take the ‘A’ […]
Held June 12th at the Library of Congress in Washington DC., this special panel-and-performance event highlighted the personal collection of an important star in the jazz firmament, composer, arranger and pianist Billy Strayhorn. Saxophonist Chris Potter, Strayhorn biographer David Hajdu, and jazz scholar Walter van de Leur, PhD, joined the composer’s niece, A. Alyce Claerbaut, […]
The Nashville Jazz Workshop Summer Jazz Camp is for students ages 13-19, and is suitable for all instruments and vocalists. Directed by Evan Cobb, the jazz camp features ensembles, masterclasses, ear training, repertoire building, phrasing/vocal expression, lyric interpretation, music theory improvisation class, jam sessions and more! This year we salute our 2019 Billy Strayhorn Jazz […]
Percussionist Maria Marmarou just completed her freshman year at Temple University and the Boyer School of Music and Dance. A graduate of Kutztown High School, she has participated in several all-state and nationally recognized music festivals. She has performed with the South Philly Big Band, along with A-List musicians Marcell Bellinger, Mike Boone and Tim […]
Trumpeter Jamal Kemp is a sophomore at the Eastman School of Music. He plays in the trumpet section of the Eastman Jazz Ensemble. Jamal is working towards being a professional musician in New York City when he finishes school. Jamal was selected by several professors in the jazz studies department to be the 2019 Billy […]
