University of North Florida UNF Digital Commons Jacksonville Jazz Festival Collection Materials Jacksonville Jazz Festival Collection 4-2006 The City of Jacksonville Presents the Jacksonville Jazz Festival Jacksonville Jazz Festival Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/jacksonville_jazz_text Part of the Music Performance Commons .5 fm Join us every Sunday for Jazz Vibrations th Billy Raven 10:00am-1:00pm \ Dear Friends, On behalf of the City ofJacksonville, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the 2006 Jacksonville Jazz Festival! This year's festival will showcase Jacksonville's enthusiasm for jazz and the arts with an exciting lineup of performers. There will be something for everyone, with a wide variety of jazz genres represented. The festival this year will offer performances and activities at The Florida Theatre, Metropolitan Park and the Ritz Theatre & LaVilla Museum. Metropolitan Park will feature the Art at the Met juried art show and sale, along with 38° Latitude ... A Wine Tasting Experience. The Great American Jazz Piano Competition will kick off the festival at The Florida Theatre on April 6 and will make for an exciting prelude to the weekend. Again, welcome to this year's Jacksonville Jazz Festival. I hope you and your family and friends have a great experience celebrating music, art and the cultural richness of our city. I look forward to seeing you in the audience! Warm Regards John Peyton Mayor THEH GREATT AMERICAN JAZZ PIANO COMPETITION The Great American Jazz Piano Competition Thursday, April 6 7 p.m. Master of Ceremonies, Noel Freidline • Finalist Performances • Performance by Noel Freidline with the 2006 Jazz • Intermission (15 minutes) Festival Hall of Fame Inductees Longineu Parsons • Finalist Performances and Teddy Washington. • Announcement of Winners The Judges Brian Culbertson Delfeayo Marsalis Brian Culbertson wrote and recorded Delfeayo Marsalis began studying his very first album when he was 20 trombone at age 13 and produced his years old. Now with seven albums, first recording at age 17. He has since Brian Culbertson has been creating "our produced more than 75 major-label songs" for the masses to great effect. recordings-several of which have He is the winner of the 2001 Smooth Jazz Award received Grammy awards and for Best Keyboardist, the 2005 American Society nominations-including works by Harry Connick, of Young Musicians' "AllThat Jazz Award" for the Jr., Marcus Roberts, Spike Lee, Ellis, Branford and American Society of Young Musicians, and received Wynton Marsalis. nine Downbeat student awards for performance Marsalis has toured internationally with legendary (piano/trombone) and composition. Ever since, jazz artists and with his own modern jazz ensem­ Culbertson has been steadily amassing a faithful ble. He has lectured in public and parochial schools audience with his recordings, then sealing the deal and founded the Uptown Music Theatre, which with his high energy concerts. Culbertson's 12-song was created to provide 8-12th grade youth with seduction suite marks his eighth album and GRP musical theatre training. His third solo cd, Minions ' Records debut, It's On Tonight. Dominion was released in Spring 2005, accompanied by a nationwide tour. Ramsey Lewis Ramsey Lewis began playing the piano Deanna Witkowski at age 4. As an adolescent, Ramsey Jr. Pianist/composer/vocalist Deanna was trained at the C hicago Musical Witkowski, winner of the 2002 Great College to become a concert pianist American Jazz Piano Competition and where he formed a solid foundation in a past guest on Marian McPartland's classical music. Piano Jazz, looks to diverse musical Lewis' career took off in 1965, with subsequent worlds in her fusions of jazz, afro-latin, radio hits The In Crowd, Hang On Sloopy and \¥ade classical, and sacred music. Her quartet release, In The Water. He received three Grammy Awards, Length ofDays, proves her consummate jazz artistry hosts his own show on WNUA and the syndicated and widening abilities as a leader. Witkowski's Legends ofJazz which is broadcast on more than 2003 recording, Wide Open Window, led reviewers 70 stations nationwide. In 1999, he released to praise her playing as "consistently thrilling" Appassionata and contributed to three contem­ (All Music Guide) and to name her as "one of the porary jazz projects (Urban Knights III, IVand V), best of the new generation of jazz pianists" and two duo projects with vocalist Nancy Wilson, (Jazz Journal International). Highlights of Meant To Be and Simple Pleasures, for which he was Witkowski's 2004-2005 schedule included awarded a 2004 NAACP Image Award for Out­ leading her group at Dizzy's Club at Jazz at standingJazz Artist. Ramsey Lewis currently serves Lincoln Center, the Tel Aviv Opera House, the as artistic director of the Ravinia Jazz Festival Roches ter and Jacksonville Jazz Festivals; and and organizing the festival's ongoingJazz Mentor touring as part of vocalist Lizz Wright's quartet Program. in Europe and the U.S. Manuel Valera Ayako Shirasaki Cuban pianist, As a Jazz pianist and The Finalists bandleader, composer composer since the age of 5, Ayako Shirasaki George Dulin and arranger, Manuel won numerous piano Pianist/Composer Valera is in the fore­ competitions in her George Dulin grew front of contemporary modern native Japan. She up in Kansas City, jazz. He constantly develops majored in classical music at Tokyo new composition and arranges National University of Fine Arts and Kansas, surrounded Music but returned to her first love, by music and began techniques that bring together jazz and won second prize in the piano lessons at age five. In 2000, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Brazilian 1995 Heineken Jazz Competition. In he performed with The Berklee and various jazz styles. Currently, 1997, Ayako moved to New York City Art Blakey Jazz Ensemble in Manuel leads a jazz/latin project, and earned a masters degree from which incorporates world Manhattan School of Music. She has New Orleans representing the released 2 CD's, Existence and Musi­ college at the IAJE Festival. rhythms and classical concepts cally Yours and was recently a guest Since 2002, George has lived in in the jazz idiom. He recorded on Marian McPartland's radio show New York where he has gigged Melancolia and produced a "Piano Jazz," which will be broadcast extensively. He recently finished collection of chamber music this fall on NPR. In April 2006, she entitled The Latin American Suite. will release her long-awaited first a Masters in Jazz Performance at solo piano CD, Home Alone. Ayako New York University, where he Additionally, Manuel recorded was also a finalist in the 2004 and was an adjunct professor ofJazz Ballads and Songs: Vol.I, selected 2005 Great American Jazz Piano Piano. George has perfonned in standards and originals in solo Competitions. a master class with the legendary piano. He is a recipient of the Cecil Taylor and has recorded 2005 ASCAP Young Composers The Rhythm Section with other jazz greats. In August Award and is a final nominee 2004, his Piano Concerto was in the Up & Coming Musician performed by the 1oscanini of the Year category of the Jazz Foundation Orchestra in Bologna, Journalists Association's Awards. Italy. George has recently fonned Manuel was also finalist in the Danny Gottlieb, a renowned his own group, The George Dulin 2004 Great American Jazz drummer and educator, and Disband and recorded their first Piano Competition. Jay Leonhart, an accomplished CD, Ride ofYour Life. Bennett Paster bassist, will provide accompani­ ment for the Great American Jesse Green Keyboardist, com­ Jazz Piano Competition. Jesse Green has an poser and producer extensive musical Bennett Paster was Noel Freidline background as a born in Washington Noel Freidline, of pianist, composer, D.C. and grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, arranger, recording Albuquerque, New is a graduate of artist, producer, and teacher. Mexico. Deciding to pursue a the University of When he was ro, he was a career in music, Paster moved North Florida and is finalist in a nationwide talent to Boston, MA in 1988. He known as a talented competition, winning for his attended Tufts University and pianist, vocalist, writer, arranger spit fire piano rendition of New England Conservatory and bandleader of his namesake Count Basie's Jumping at the of Music, receiving degrees in band, The Noel Freidline Quin­ Woodside.Jesse went on to English and Jazz Studies. tet. Freidline has been named attend the East Stroudsburg Committed to furthering his as Northeast Florida's Best University, where he played career and musical development, Performer six times. He returns trombone in the Concert Paster moved to Brooklyn, Band and Brass Ensemble, and New York, where he began to to Jacksonville as Master of Ceremonies for the Great piano in the Jazz Ensemble. develop his newfound love for American Jazz Piano Compe­ Along with many performances Afro-Cuban music and Latin tition and will perform with and advances in his career, Jazz. Paster has experience the 2006Jazz Hall of Fame he is active in teaching music arranging for string and brass (advanced jazz theory, harmony ensembles and he is a capable Inductees Longineu Parsons and Teddy Washington. The and ear training), composing producer and recording Noel Freidline Quintet will also and arranging, multi-media and engineer. Bennett was also a perform at the Jacksonville Jazz sound engineering. Jesse was finalist in the 2004 and 2005 Festival on Saturday, April 8 at also a finalist in the 2005 Great Great American Jazz Piano Metropolitan Park. American Jazz Piano Competition. Competitions. Special thanks to Keyboard Connection ofJacksonville for providing a KAWAI EX concert grand piano for the finalists performances, radio partner Tama Broadcasting and the Omni Jacksonville Hotel, the official host of the 2006 Great American Jazz Piano Competition.