June 1, 2002 – Jazz Vespers closes out its first season Sunday with a performance by trumpeter Stan Joines and Youth Explosion, an ensemble of former and current Central High School Jazz Band musicians.
The concert is at 5:30 p.m. in the St. Croix Reformed Church, located in Estate La Reine above the Kingshill post office. Seating is unreserved.
Joines, who grew up in Macon, Georgia, and graduated from Mercer University there, was introduced to jazz by his high school teachers. "Macon isn't exactly a jazz Mecca, so the jazz recordings they turned me on to was the greatest thing for me at the time," he says.
Among his early influences were trumpeters Freddie Hubbard, Miles Davis and Doc Severinsen. In Macon, he also had the opportunity to sit in on jam sessions with members of the Almond Brothers (not to be confused with the rocker Allman Brothers) Band. "We didn't play their record tunes," he recalls. "We would play 'Green Dolphin Street' and straight-ahead tunes like that."
Joines settled on St. Croix in 1991 and has been teaching music at Central High School ever since. In 1996, the he took the CHS concert and jazz bands to the Spectrum Fiesta-Val band competition in Atlanta. Both groups received a "superior" rating and came in second in the overall competition. In 2000, he took both bands to compete at Disney World in Orlando; again, both placed second overall. This year, the CHS Jazz Band returned to the Atlanta Spectrum Fiesta-Val, to be declared Grand Champions of the event.
Performing with Joines on Sunday will be:
Gregory John, 19 (tenor and alto saxophone), currently attending Norfolk State University on a full music scholarship.
Calvert Gilbert, 20 (trombone and drums), also currently attending Norfolk State University on a full music scholarship.
Patrick Robinson, 19 (keyboard and drums), a recent CHS graduate who plans to go to Florida in the fall to begin studying sound engineering.
Mike Tyson, 15 (keyboard and drums), a current member of the CHS Jazz Band.
Roberto Rivera age, 17 (alto sax, soprano sax and bass), a current member of the CHS Jazz Band.
Jazz Vespers, a family-oriented event held on the first Sunday of each month in the alcohol-free, smoke-free environment of the church, is timed to allow attendees to enjoy the sunset as well as the music. There's no charge, but a free-will offering taken. Everyone is invited to stay after the concert to interact with the musicians and enjoy complimentary refreshments.
After taking a summer break in July, Jazz Vespers will begin its second season on Aug. 4 with flutist Dianne Russell as featured artist. Also on tap: Marcus Rabb with Strings on Sept. 1 and pianist Otto James on Oct. 6.
For more information, e-mail to JazzVespersVI or call Willard Fields at 719-3672 or Pastor Rod Koopmans at 778-0520.
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