2011 Instrumental Adjudicator

Dr. Lawrence McClellan, Jr.

Lawrence “Larry” McClellan, Jr. began performing professionally with artists such as Nina Simone, Tennessee Ernie Ford, and Patti Labelle. He went on to appear with a diverse list of musicians from both the jazz and pop music worlds including Urbie Green, Nancy Wilson, Jon Lucien, Kenny Burrell, Oleta Adams, Terence Blanchard, David “Fathead” Newman, Ronnie Matthews, and

Rufus Reid. One of the highlights of Larry’s career took place when he performed with Aretha Franklin at President Clinton’s Inauguration in Washington, D.C. He later worked with the Don Braden Octet and with Dave Liebman, Tiger Okoshi, and Mike Stern at the Kyoto Jazz Festival in Japan prior to appearing with Donald Brown, Bill Pierce, Peter Erskine, Terri Lyne Carrington, Cecil McBee, and others.

McClellan has recorded with blues vocalist Jimmy McCracklin on his CD, “My Story”, Larry Ridley’s Jazz Legacy Ensemble, “Live at Rutgers University”, and two of contemporary jazz saxophonist/vocalist Walter Beasley’s best-selling CD’s “Won’t You Let Me Love You” and “Rendezvous”. Larry has also recorded his own CD entitled “Movin’ Up!” for IGMOD Records.

As an educator, he has served as Director of Music Education at the University of the Virgin Islands on St. Thomas, and as Dean of Professional Education at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts where he collaborated with Gary Burton, Ron Carter, Benny Golson, Curtis Fuller, Stefon Harris, Regina Carter, Take Six, and others regarding guest lectures, honors programs, and/or perfomances. Larry has given master classes, clinics, and workshops in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Japan, and South Africa.

In addition to his work as a musician and educator, he has written several articles/transcriptions for Downbeat, the Dictionary of American Biography, and the Jazz Education Journal. He is also the author of a book entitled: “The Later Swing Era, 1942 to 1955” published by Greenwood Press in Westport, Connecticut.

McClellan holds B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees and currently performs and presents clinics, lectures, and workshops.

*Entertainment, adjudicators and clinicians subject to change without notice