2025 LMEA All-State Jazz Ensemble in New Orleans

Written By Clarence Hines

I recently had the incredible opportunity to direct the 2025 LMEA All-State Jazz Ensemble in New Orleans, and I couldn’t be more proud of the talented students who participated. Over the course of two and a half days, these young musicians dedicated themselves to learning and rehearsing a challenging and exciting program, culminating in a fantastic 50-minute concert that showcased their hard work and musical growth.

The concert program featured a diverse selection of jazz standards and contemporary pieces, including:

• The Eternal Triangle – Sonny Stitt/arr. John Clayton

• Boogaloo – Clarence Hines

• Footprints – Wayne Shorter/arr. Mike Tomaro

• Trav’lin’ Light – Young, Mundy, Mercer/arr. Nelson Riddle

• Cheek to Cheek – Irving Berlin/arr. Mark Taylor

• The Star-Crossed Lovers – Strayhorn, Ellington/trans. David Berger

• Cute – Neal Hefti/arr. Bob Mintzer

• What Is This Thing Called Love – Cole Porter/arr. Alan Baylock

The ability of the students to come together as an ensemble in such a short time and perform at an excellent level is truly commendable. Congratulations to all the students for their outstanding performance, and a big thank you to LMEA for organizing such a wonderful event. It was an honor to work with such a talented group of young musicians.

Clarence Hines

Clarence Hines is a trombonist, composer, and arranger who has performed with Bobby Caldwell, Maceo Parker, David Sanborn, and Diane Schuur. His festival performances include the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, Rochester International Jazz Festival and the North Sea Jazz Festival. Recent commissions include works for the Ukrainian Chamber Orchestra and the Strings Festival Brass & Percussion Ensemble. Peña Amaya, his original composition for wind ensemble, was premiered in Valencia, Spain in 2019. His arrangement of Ellington’s Come Sunday was performed by members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra at the Tanglewood Music Festival in 2020. Clarence is an Associate Professor of Jazz Studies and the Director of the School of Music at the University of North Florida.

http://clarencehines.com
Next

Peña Amaya - Upcoming Performance