The Morehouse College Jazz Ensemble has been acclaimed as one of the finest College Jazz Ensembles in the country. Many of its members enroll at Morehouse from some of the country’s strongest high school Jazz Band programs. The Morehouse College Jazz Ensemble has consistently received rave reviews for their exceptional performances. Under the guidance of such devoted Band Directors as Dr. Tim Turner, Lamar Phillips, Blake Gaines, and Dr.Ted McDaniels, the Jazz Ensemble has performed at locations all over the world. The group has also shared the stage with such legends as Ray Charles, Deborah Brown, George Bohannon, and Quincy Jones. Currently under the direction of Mr. Melvin Jones, the band is continuing the world-renowned “Tradition of Excellence.”
During the Fall semester of 2004, the Jazz Band traveled to Los Angeles, California to represent the Morehouse College Music Department in what turned out to be a star-studded event honoring the late, great Ray Charles. The event was attended by more than 800 guests, and it gave the Band an opportunity to perform next to a host of musical icons, such as Gerald Levert, James Ingram, Brian McKnight, Travis Tritt, Rickey Minor, and Stevie Wonder to name a few. Following that success, the band performed for the 2005 National Youth Conference Breakfast before a panel of special keynote speakers, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and Rev. Dr. Markel Hutchins. Then, the ensemble performed in Anniston, Alabama for the Agency of Substance Abuse Fundraising Concert, after receiving praise from Motown Founder, Mr. Berry Gordy for their stellar performance at the 138th annual “Candle in the Dark Gala” in Atlanta, Georgia. The band recently traveled to Memphis, Tennessee to participate in a ceremony honoring the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., along with a host of other distinguished African-American Pioneers. One of those esteemed honorees, Mr. Isaac Hayes, stated that he was “thoroughly impressed with the Band.”
In April of 1999, the Morehouse College Jazz band held it's first annual Jazz Festival. The Morehouse College Jazz Festival is a non-competitive festival for high school bands and college bands in the Southeast region that will provide students the opportunity to learn through clinics and concert performances from some of today's outstanding professional jazz artists.
The Morehouse College Jazz Festival is in its 7th year of achievement. A vision of former band director, Dr. Timothy Turner, this event has grown since its inception in the Fall of 1998. Over the past few years, the festival has attracted the support and talents of such world-renowned Jazz Icons as Jon Faddis, Mulgrew Miller, Slide Hampton, Jimmy Heath, James Williams, Billy Pierce, Antonio Hart, Russell Gunn, Sean Jones, Deborah Brown, Clark Terry, Qunicy Jones, Kirk Whalum and Antonio Hart just to name a few.
Recent Article in the Atlanta Journal & Constitution
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