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Infusion of youth keeps beat alive

Jazz Holiday brings a wave of musical talent to park setting

By DEMORRIS A. LEE, Times Staff Writer
Published October 17, 2007

Singers Joss Stone and Natalie Cole close the holiday with a performance Sunday at 8:30 p.m.
	[Times photo: XXXX]

CLEARWATER - For Billy Norris, it was the money he needed to elevate his musical ambition.

Norris, 19, of Seminole was one of the first to receive a $2,500 scholarship from the Clearwater Jazz Holiday Foundation, the nonprofit organization that brings jazz artists to the area.

This year's event runs Thursday through Sunday and features George Benson, Arturo Sandoval and Natalie Cole. But the foundation uses the kinds of scholarships given to Norris to cultivate young talent.

"I was able to use the money to seriously upgrade my upright bass," said Norris, who now studies jazz bass as a sophomore at the Manhattan School of Music. "I was playing an entry-level instrument, but afterward, things begin to pick up. It wouldn't have happened without the $2,500."

Four years ago, the foundation created a youth jazz program through Ruth Eckerd Hall's Marcia P. Hoffman Performing Arts Institute. Through the program, some of the area's best high school jazz musicians are selected to train and perform together all year. There's a jazz combo with eight musicians and a big band with 17. The big band will perform at 1:45 p.m. Oct. 21 at this year's event.

For the young musicians, it's a memorable gig.

"It was the first big stage I had ever performed on," said Steve Di Bella, 18, a tenor saxophone player who is studying jazz at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. "I really wasn't into jazz that much and didn't know that much about it. But after playing with Jazz Holiday, it opened my eyes."

Over the past four years, the Clearwater Jazz Foundation has invested nearly $100,000 in community education. The festival is free, but from food and beverage sales help pay to educate young musicians and expose youth to jazz throughout the year.

"The health of our community is measured by our arts, our music and education," said Patrick Shepherd, president of the Clearwater Jazz Holiday Foundation. "That's the glue that holds the beauty of our society together."

Teaching the love of jazz to the next generation is vital, Norris said.

"With the state of the music industry and music world today, the amount of people paying attention to preserving jazz is dwindling, especially among younger people," said Norris, who was the St. Petersburg Times' teen movie critic until 2006. "Clearwater Jazz Holiday is a great outlet for young people in Pinellas County to go learn and perform."

The Clearwater Jazz Holiday Foundation also helps purchase sheet music and gives partial scholarships for Ruth Eckerd Hall's summer intensive jazz workshops.

"Its been a tremendous experience for me," said Bernard "BK" Jackson, 16, a junior at Tampa's Howard W. Blake High School for the Performing Arts and a member of the jazz combo. "All the music I don't get to play at school, I play with the combo. And I can't say enough about the great teaching."

Boca Ciega High School band director Frank Williams has worked with the Clearwater Jazz Holiday youth band since its inception. He said there aren't many programs in the country that are training young jazz artists.

"Some have a natural knack, but there's only one way to become a competent jazz artist, and that's to work your butt off," Williams said. "These kids are already going places, and we are producing the next generation of jazz lions."

Demorris A. Lee can be reached at dalee@sptimes.com or 445-4174.

Fast facts

Jazz Holiday dos and don'ts

Don't bring

- pets, except registered guide dogs

- grills, hibachis or open flames of any kind

- food or drink of any kind

- tents

- overnight camping equipment

- audio- or video-recording devices

- inline skates, skateboards

- litter

- guns, knives or weapons of any kind

- backpacks, coolers or umbrellas

Do bring

- lawn chairs

- blankets

- sunglasses

- sunscreen

- ID tags for small children

ALSO

Do not turn on cell phones or pagers during performances.

2007 performance schedule

Thursday

5 p.m.: Gates open

6-7:30 p.m.: Air Force Academy Band Falconaires

8-10 p.m.: George Benson

Friday

4 p.m.: Gates open

5-6:15 p.m.: Ray & Friends

6:45-8:15 p.m.: Chuck Owen & the Jazz Surge featuring Mike Mainieri and Adam Nussbaum

8:45-11 p.m.: Norman Brown featuring Peabo Bryson, Jeff Lorber and Marion Meadows

Saturday

2:30 p.m.: Gates open

3:45-5 p.m.: Michael Ross Quartet

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Brian Bromberg's Downright Upright Band featuring Randy Brecker, Mitchel Forman, Gary Meek & Dave Weckl

7:15-8:45 p.m.: Arturo Sandoval

9:15-10:45 p.m.: Madeski Martin & Wood

10:45 p.m.: Fireworks

Sunday

1 p.m.: Gates open

1:45-2:30 p.m.: REH/CJH Jazz Youth Band

3-4:15 p.m.: Hendrik Meurkens Samba Jazz Quartet

4:45-6 p.m.: Lynne Arriale Trio featuring Lynne Arriale, Thomson Kneeland, Steve Davis

6:30-8 p.m.: Joe Gransden

8:30-10 p.m.: Natalie Cole

[Last modified October 16, 2007, 22:48:20]