Garfield Jazz Milestones

Ernestine Anderson. Quincy Jones. Jimi Hendrix. The place is full of music. Who knows what greats are yet to share their musical talents with us in years to come?

The Garfield High School Jazz Ensemble this year is a 30-member jazz band that is comprised of students from a variety of cultural and economic backgrounds. Located in Seattle, Washington, Garfield is a public (tuition-free) high school with such an interest in jazz that it maintains three levels of jazz band in its curriculum. Jazz Ensemble I is the top jazz band in this program.

Under the leadership of Clarence Acox (now in his 38th year as director), Garfield continues to bring to young people the jazz traditions of such big bands as Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Woody Herman. The group has won every major competition on the west coast of the United States. In 2006 it was named the Outstanding Festival Band at the prestigious Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival an unprecedented seventh time.

Garfield toured Europe again in the summer of 2007. On its six previous European tours the band has performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, Jazz á Vienne, France, and the North Sea Jazz Festival, in the Netherlands. The band has been selected four times to perform at the conference of the prestigious International Association for Jazz Education.

Garfield has also been chosen to participate in the Essentially Ellington National Jazz Band Competition and Festival at Lincoln Center in New York City nine times. This competition is considered the most prestigious high school competition in the United States. Garfield won the 2^nd Place trophy in 2002 and the 1^st Place trophy in 2003 and 2004, making it the only band to win the competition in consecutive years. They were again selected in 2005, 2006 (3^rd place), 2007 and 2008 as one of the 15 finalists in the competition in New York.

In May 2003, the Garfield Jazz Ensemble made a national TV appearance, with Wynton Marsalis, on the Today Show.

The Garfield Jazz Ensemble has performed with such jazz greats as: Wynton Marsalis (four times), Quincy Jones, John Faddis, Houston Person, Joshua Redman, Bill Watrous, Nicholas Payton, David "Fathead" Newman, Dee Daniels, Ernestine Anderson (on numerous occasions). Members have also performed with Benny Golson.

May: Essentially Ellington Competition

Garfield wins second place overall. The brass and woodwinds receive Outstanding Sections awards. Carl Majeau receives the first Ella Fitzgerald Outstanding Soloist award ever given. Soloist awards are granted to Ben Hamaji on piano, Zubin Hensler on trumpet, Jake Linde on trombone, and Riley Mulherkar on trumpet.

April: Reno Jazz Festival

Jazz Ensemble II comes second in the Apprentice Bands for their division. The combos fielded by Garfield win first and second place. Zubin Hensler again receives a soloist award for trumpet.

March: Lifetime Achievement Award to Quincy Jones

In this star-studded tribute, Ensemble I opens an evening of music celebrating Garfield alumni Quincy Jones' career. Carlos Santana and several other national recording artists produced by Quincy play.

February: Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival

Jazz Ensemble II wins the Adjudicator's Choice, or first prize in their division. Ensemble I wins a Adjudicator's Commendaton. Zubin Hensler receives a soloist award for trumpet.

February: Bellveue Big Band Jazz Festival

Jazz Ensemble I wins second place. Zubin Hensler, Carl Majeau and Robert Struthers receives awards as outstanding soloists.

February: Clark College Jazz Festival

Jazz Ensemble I secures second place in the AAAA division. Carl Majeau receives a soloist award.

October: Earshot Jazz Festival

Garfield Jazz Ensemble I performed with the multi-talented Houston Person at the Triple Door. Mr. Person salutes the band with a rendition of "What A Wonderful World".

July: Southern European tour

Like latter-day Visigoths, Jazz Ensemble I swept through southern Europe, opening Montreux Jazz Festival and closing Umbria Jazz Festival. On the way, the band performed in Innsbruck, Austria and Florence, Italy. Emboldened by their earnings while busking in Perugia, they sacked Rome before returning to Seattle.

May: New York City

The band appears on New York's Channel 11 news with Wynton Marsalis before the Essentially Ellington competition. Soloist awards received by received by Carl Majeau (clarinet), John Cheadle (alto sax), Devin Mooers (tenor sax), Joel Gombiner (tenor sax) and Ben Hamaji (piano).

May: New York City

Garfield secures third place in the Essentially Ellington competition.

October: Earshot Jazz Festival

Garfield Jazz Ensemble I performed with David "Fathead" Newman at the Triple Door.

May: New York City

Paul de Barros of the Seattle Times wrote:
"Hitting a solid groove that would have made Duke Ellington himself smile, the Garfield High School Jazz Band clinched its second consecutive triumph at the Essentially Ellington Competion and Festival last night".

May: New York City

Garfield wins the Essentially Ellington competition.

May: New York City

Garfield secures second place in the Essentially Ellington competition.

May: New York City

Garfield receives an honorable mention in the Essentially Ellington competition.

May: New York City

Garfield receives an honorable mention in the Essentially Ellington competition. The stage is set for things to come.