About Jazz
  

The past twenty years have seen live music and live stage performance vanish from the entertainment landscape. Economic pressures, the development of synthesizers and “high tech” recorded music have joined forces to replace live musicians, e.g., in the showplaces of Las Vegas, and Theaters of New York. At this writing, the number one show on the strip in Las Vegas is completely performed with recorded music. Performance musicians are out of work and television pre-empts opportunities for our youth to see and hear live entertainment. Simultaneously school music programs are shrinking. Incredible as it may seem, high schools and colleges around the country are seriously contemplating the decision to eliminate music programs altogether. If the music programs disappear thereby producing fewer musicians for the future, who is going to record the music? More importantly, will the beauty and excitement of this extraordinary music become lost to our children and the generations to come?

In January of 1992, Mike Green, the President of The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, appeared on the Grammy Awards. He pointed out that very soon we will be hearing a lot about “America 2000” which is our country’s plan for the future. Incredibly, “...art and music are not mentioned one time in the entire plan for education.” Mr. Green also said, “...without the school system music programs, our children’s interest in music will be restricted to family economics.”

Coalition for the Advancement of Live Music, (CALM) is a national effort, supported by the National Federation of Musicians, to support live music. But it is also to remind the people of this country that our youth desperately needs music and training in the arts as an alternative to the streets.

The Los Angeles Times published an article entitled, “Leisure Time for Youths: Less Fun More Hazards,” which described how a marked decrease in youth programs, especially in urban communities, has created an environment where children are more at risk than ever.

The article in the International Musician written in support of CALM concludes in saying, “Whether you teach, or you encourage others to teach, we must all somehow reach the children. Get involved with your local school district. Get to know the music teachers (if there are any). If you have a group, offer to play in the schools and demonstrate your instruments...... Find out what you can do to help bring music back to school.”

Paul Harvey, the syndicated editorial broadcaster and journalist of world-wide fame, speaking on music education in our public schools, said:
“Music is the universal language that transcends time and space. Music is one of the seven forms of human intelligence, all equal in stature and in potential. And yet education•as is•is almost totally geared to nurturing linguistic and logical mathematical abilities alone, leaving the other five forms•including music•neglected....Without the arts•including music•we risk graduating young people who are ‘right-brain damaged.’ Presently we are spending twenty-nine times more on science than on the arts, and the result so far is worldwide intellectual embarrassment.”

Symphony orchestras have, for years, recognized the need to preserve the classical music tradition. In most major cities in America, symphony orchestras are supported by concerned individuals, businesses, and foundation grants. Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, and an endless list of classical artists are composers who, rightfully so, are not to be forgotten. Why is there not a similar effort to preserve the heritage and perform the music of Morton, Ellington, Basie, Kenton, and the myriad of other Americans who have played key roles in our music? Is it a question of demand? We think not.

The Utah Symphony, as part of its regular season, brings in talented performers who prove the public believes in this music. Ella Fitzgerald, Natalie Cole, The Temptations, Steve and Edie Gorme, and Henry Mancini are but a few names who have performed with the symphony to “sell out” crowds. The symphony is finding more and more demand to perform contemporary American music in their symphony season.

The nucleus was formed some time ago. In 1974, Salt Lakers Jerry Floor and Bill Crismon, formed the Jerry Floor/Bill Crismon Big Band. Utilizing the best local musicians, the Big Band began playing all types of commercial engagements and concerts, backing entertainers like Johnny Mathis, Elvis Presley, Tom Jones, Bob Hope and many others. The quality of musicians remains second to none. Its members often are hired to complement the Utah Symphony when it accompanies jazz related artists. In 1986, Crismon retired and Jerry has continued the tradition with THE JERRY FLOOR BIG BAND.

In 1988, Doc Severinsen led the band in a highly acclaimed fund raising concert for the Children’s Center at Symphony Hall. Following the concert, Doc asked Jerry to contact the artistic director and impresario of a successful aggregation in Columbus, Ohio. Doc’s idea was to see a similar program in Utah. Jerry, Hersch Bullen, Jay Lawrence, and Denny Floor, made the trip to Ohio to observe the Jazz Arts Group (JAG) of Ohio. JAG is an organization structured similar to a symphony orchestra. It is not-for-profit, presents a concert season each year where performers are brought to Columbus to perform with the JAG Big Band, and consistently supports music education in the schools with clinics and concerts for the youth. JAG performs six to eight concerts per year, mostly “sold out.” At the end of the trip, the Salt Lake contingency was unanimous in its opinion that a similar opportunity was ripe for Utah.

With this in mind, in April of 1992, a not-for-profit corporation was formed under the name of JAZZ ARTS OF THE MOUNTAINWEST, with a serious mission statement and business plan. Doc Severinsen was delighted and has agreed to be on the Board of Advisors of JAM. (See Exhibits for letter from Doc Severinsen.)

The basic concept of JAM is to create a season of Jazz music concerts with imported and local talent. In other words, JAM will put together a season, much as does the Utah Symphony, Ballet West, Salt Lake Acting Company, and other such representative entities. JAM will offer clinics to high schools, colleges, and universities throughout the state. Students will experience professional musicians in concert and clinicians will be available to work with the band and orchestra directors of other various institutions. A “used instrument” program will be created for under privileged children to gain access to instruments for the school band and orchestra programs. A local instrument repair shop is poised to make the repairs on donated instruments to make them playable for the youth.

One may ask, what is the tie between live professional performance of America’s music and music education in the schools? The answer is, without the example set, without the end in mind, without the constant reminder of what our music has become and the dream of the future, the motivation for our youth to appreciate and/or carry on the creative endeavor of our music will diminish. JAZZ ARTS OF THE MOUNTAINWEST is dedicated to that end.