Caldwell Fine Arts 2009-2010 Season

October 12
Monday, 7:30 pm

$14 - $18 adult; $10 - $14 student/child
Upper level seats are listed first. Includes all fees

Louis is considered an integral part of the second New Orleans revival. His father Clarence was a phenomenal clarinet/saxophone player whose career spanned three decades. He performed with many great entertainers such as Fats Domino.

Louis is also a clarinet/saxophone player. He studied under professor Kidd Jordan at Southern University in Music Performance and graduated from Loyola University with a degree in music education. Louis has a zeal for preserving the history of great jazz of the region. Louis Ford & the New Orleans Flairs have played at festivals all over the world and are returning to Sun Valley Jazz for the 2nd year. Jeff Loehr of the Sun Valley Festival said, “We have looked for years to bring an authentic New Orleans group to Idaho. When we heard this group, we knew that they were what we wanted. Louis not only plays wonderfully, but he is one of the most pleasant artists we have presented.”

Louis has appeared on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and Jay Leno, and on MTV with Harry Connick Jr. and Arsenio Hall. He has also been in several TV ads and featured on radio in New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festivals.

Jazz is an export from the United States that has been well received throughout the world. Louis has played with various bands in Denmark, Norway, Montreal, Finland, France, Jamaica, Australia, Japan, and Switzerland. He is a member of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and Brooke Benton and Harry Connick, Jr. tours. This fall, Horizon Airline’s in-flight magazine features Louis’s band and the Sun Valley Jazz Festival. After the Caldwell performance, the group will travel directly to Sun Valley for the Sun Valley Swing “n” Dixie Jazz Jamboree.

Trumpet player Jamelle Williams, trumpeter, composer, arranger, educator was born in Jastrop, Louisiana, which is five hours north near the Arkansas state line, but his jazz career began in New Orleans and he has been an important part of its scene ever since.

He remembers hearing gospel music early in his life. His grandfather was a Baptist minister. An aunt played the piano, but lessons at age 5 did not take. He said, “I got a trumpet from the band director at age 12 since they were out of clarinets. I loved playing it, especially after hearing a recording by Miles Davis.” Jamelle attended New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts during 19997-98 and earned a degree in music education from Loyola and a Masters at the University of New Orleans. He taught in a variety of schools from elementary to college. “The most important thing that I tell my students is that, if this is something that you really want to do, you must always try to be your very best. Take it seriously. It’s a gift.” He is working on some of his own material and working with Slick Six. “When I was 12, I may have believed that I chose music, but now I know it chose me. Music has a certain power that I try to unlock every day when I play. It can really change people’s lives; such as the first time I experienced John Coltrane’s music. I want to get closer to that feeling every day.”