Jazz Camp, that Great Camp, and Its Benefit Concert
A CAVALCADE of Educators and Stars, Performing in CONCERT, JULY 10th
THE CAMP
New Orleans tends to shorten institutitions’ names into quick and easy handles. “Jazz Fest” is the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. While other Camps for educating young musicians are outstanding in the city, “Jazz Camp” broadly registers as the Louis Satchmo Armstrong Summer Jazz Camp, begun by Jackie Harris, Executive Director, from a vision and a mission 30 years ago.
“Jazz Camp” is loaded. Loaded with illustrious talents present and past.
Donald Harrison Jr.
Loaded with Instructoers such as its current Creative Director, Donald Harrison Jr., and 2024’s Artist-in-Residence, Fred Wesley. Yes, that Fred Wesley, whose trombone, finger-snaps and dancing kept James Brown’s JB’s cooking on the beat from the Apollo to Kinshasa … so tight and hot and shimmering and funky that James Brown could scream in just the right pitch with them … that Fred Wesley who then flew into further spaces with Parliament Funkadelic and in 1978 joined Count Basie’s Band.
Fred Wesley
And Instructors such as Jonathan Bloom, Roderick Paulin, Stephanie Jordan, Kent and Marlon Jordan, Darrell Lavigne, Brian Quezergue, the Steve Martin Banjo prize-winning Don Vappie, Herman Lebeaux of 20 years in Allen Toussaint’s drum-chair, BlaqNmilD of Hip-Hop breakthroughs.
Roderick Paulin
Stephanie Jordan
BlaqNmiiD
Jazz Camp’s Alumni over its 30 years include stars beyond counting. Jon Batiste, Trombone Shorty, the MacArthur Felllowship-winning Dr. Courtney Bryan, the six-time Grammy-nominated Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (Christian Scott), clarinetist Gregory Agid, trumpeter John Michael Bradford, composer and saxophonist Calvin Johnson, ….
THE CAMP’S 2024 BENEFIT CONCERT
Last year’s Benefit Concert for the Louis Satchmo Armstrong Summer Jazz Camp, one Wednesday night of July 2023 inside the Jazz and Heritage Foundation’s George and Joyce Wein Theater, was a CAVALCADE of talents such as are noted above.
It was of masters of their crafts rising to tops of their games. It was of succeeding combinations that each highlit superlative capacities and “reaching” (Idris Muhammad, born Leo Morris in New Orleans), 1939). Maybe Roderick Paulin’s roundly lustrous tone built through decades of Second Lines. Maybe Dwight Fitch on Piano turning Blues into Alban Berg’s Modern Classical “Lulu” of mixed voices with his thunder-and-lightning inversions of chords. Maybe Herman Lebeaux maintaining many kinds of swinging time with his enthusiasm lifting each ensemble. Maybe Herlin Riley driving four beats with four limbs into a single, locomotive, superlative Engine. Maybe Germaine Bazzle singing and scatting beyond earthly precedents and literally lighting the stage. Maybe Donald Harrsion Jr. launching again into nigh-on supersonic runs of Alto Saxophone that still clung fast to the streets’ beat of Marching Masked Indians’ drums….
A great show, 2023’s Jazz Camp Benefit Concert—inimitably only-in-New-Orleans—and 2024’s with Fred Wesley—that Fred Wesley, THEE Fred Wesley—in the mix is sure to no less lift the roof. Oh yes, and Davell Crawford will return to—you know it— bring the spiritual into flows of the dancing earthly, just like last year!
Home-Page of the Jazz Camp links to Tickets for Wednesday’s Concert. And oh Double-Yes, the Mélange of Meals catered for the Reception were delicious, too! Clicl on the Poster to go to the Home-Page.
Please also visit the Louis Satchmo Armstrong Summer Jazz Camp’s pages of Alumni and Faculty. You will, we think, be inspired!
The Louis Armstrong Center in Queens, New York is likewise an indelible and uplifting experience.
We’re very GRATEFUL that all of such things are here for the United States and world!
For a closing treat, please check out this of course warm and illuminating interview with Fred Wesley.
LINKS
https://louisarmstrongjazzcamp.com/
https://louisarmstrongjazzcamp.com/about-lsasjc/who-we-are/faculty-staff/faculty/#
https://louisarmstrongjazzcamp.com/our-alumni/alumni/
https://www.louisarmstronghouse.org/our-new-center/
https://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2013/03/fred-wesley-interview
RELATED
With Kidd Jordan: His Sense of Humor
Like many, I contemplate today, Easter Sunday, memories and images of Edward “Kidd” Jordan a few days after his passing late last week. Kidd was 87. He’d played out on saxophones, across Louisiana from his hometown of Crowley on the western Prairie, and then round the world, since the middle 1950s. He’d taught students music almost as long a span of deca…
DPRAM at the Marigny Opera House--Photos and Video + 'Jack Groves' in 2024, one Track from our LOUISIANA STORIES Album-in-Progress
Thanks very much for responses to the DPRAM Update! I hope that you enjoy photos by RYAN and photos and video by KEITH of the show with ROGER, KIRK, HERMAN, and DON VAPPIE. It was a high and celebratory night in New Orleans! Please check out Video of the Second-Line that closes out the show outside the Opera House. I love this band!
Wonderful - I just heard Jackie Harris, Fred Wesley and Donald Harrison interview on WWOZ while scrubbing my kitchen floor discussing Louis Armstrong Jazz Camp ! The house/museum in Corona Queens was a visit I will always cherish. Everything you post is of interest and everything leads to more! Thank you once again.
Dear NANCY YVONNE, Your responses here are much appreciated--and not just by me. Both JACK and MURF wrote yesterday. Let's see if I can attach the screen-shot. Murf Reeves
Tue, Jul 9, 2:10 PM (21 hours ago)
Wow! Thanks for sharing Don!