Central High School Jazz Band wins international jazz festival in NYC on Mother's Day 2025
Robert Coker
https://www.actionnews5.com/2025/05/11/local-high-school-wins-international-jazz-band-competition/
Calkins: Central High lights up the stage — and advances to finals in New York.
By Geoff Calkins, Daily MemphianUpdated: May 11, 2025 1:19 PM CT | Published: May 10, 2025 9:27 PM CT
The Central High Jazz Band will perform Sunday, May 11 at The Metropolitan Opera. They are among three finalists selected from 30 bands that made it to the Essentially Ellington contest in New York. (Courtesy Ollie Liddell)
Daily Memphian
Geoff Calkins
After all the jazz bands performed, they announced the three bands that had advanced to the finals of the Essentially Ellington contest.
One was a group from Barcelona, Spain. Another was from a dedicated arts school in Florida.
The final name to be announced?
Central High School, from Memphis.
“The kids really brought the joy,” said the band’s director, Ollie Liddell. “This has been absolutely wonderful.”
The three finalists will play as part of a larger concert Sunday at The Metropolitan Opera — a concert that that includes the Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis.
The concert begins at 1 p.m. Central. The Central High School jazz band is expected to perform at approximately 2 p.m.
And, yes, a winner will be announced when the concert is over. But University of Memphis saxophone professor Michael Shults put Central’s accomplishment in perspective in a posting on X after the three finalists were announced: “This is George Mason in the Final Four territory.”
“Music is about how it makes you feel. The emotion and the energy, that’s the spirt of Memphis. We play with the spirit of the city, man.”
Ollie Liddell
Central High band director
It was an accomplishment just for Central to make the cut as one of the 30 bands invited to Lincoln Center. It was an even greater accomplishment to be one of the 10 bands that advanced to Saturday’s round.
But to make the final three?
Ollie Liddell (in a file photo) the band director at Central High, works with his jazz band preparing for the Essentially Ellington contest. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)
“These are phenomenal bands,” Liddell said. “The best of the best. There are impromptu jam sessions in the hallway. We were winners when we showed up.”
The judges have actually already identified — but not yet revealed — the top band based on Saturday’s performances. Sunday’s concert is a showcase for the three finalists.
But you should have seen the Central band light up Lincoln Center Saturday. It would have made even the hardest-hearted Memphian proud to see what a bunch of kids from the city could do.
No band got a bigger ovation. No band played with such unbridled joy.
“That’s really what it’s about,” Liddell said. “Music is about how it makes you feel. The emotion and the energy, that’s the spirt of Memphis. We play with the spirit of the city, man.”
Paul Sisco
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Cubs63" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cubs63+un...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cubs63/026901dbc2ce%24faf91140%24f0eb33c0%24%40comcast.net.
Mike Murphy
On May 11, 2025, at 7:47 PM, 'Robert Coker' via Cubs63 <cub...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
https://www.actionnews5.com/2025/05/11/local-high-school-wins-international-jazz-band-competition/
Calkins: Central High lights up the stage — and advances to finals in New York.
By Geoff Calkins, Daily MemphianUpdated: May 11, 2025 1:19 PM CT | Published: May 10, 2025 9:27 PM CT
<image001.jpg>
The Central High Jazz Band will perform Sunday, May 11 at The Metropolitan Opera. They are among three finalists selected from 30 bands that made it to the Essentially Ellington contest in New York. (Courtesy Ollie Liddell)
Daily Memphian
Geoff Calkins
After all the jazz bands performed, they announced the three bands that had advanced to the finals of the Essentially Ellington contest.
One was a group from Barcelona, Spain. Another was from a dedicated arts school in Florida.
The final name to be announced?
Central High School, from Memphis.
“The kids really brought the joy,” said the band’s director, Ollie Liddell. “This has been absolutely wonderful.”
The three finalists will play as part of a larger concert Sunday at The Metropolitan Opera — a concert that that includes the Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis.
The concert begins at 1 p.m. Central. The Central High School jazz band is expected to perform at approximately 2 p.m.
And, yes, a winner will be announced when the concert is over. But University of Memphis saxophone professor Michael Shults put Central’s accomplishment in perspective in a posting on X after the three finalists were announced: “This is George Mason in the Final Four territory.”
“Music is about how it makes you feel. The emotion and the energy, that’s the spirt of Memphis. We play with the spirit of the city, man.”
Ollie Liddell
Central High band directorIt was an accomplishment just for Central to make the cut as one of the 30 bands invited to Lincoln Center. It was an even greater accomplishment to be one of the 10 bands that advanced to Saturday’s round.
But to make the final three?
<image002.jpg>
Ollie Liddell (in a file photo) the band director at Central High, works with his jazz band preparing for the Essentially Ellington contest. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)
“These are phenomenal bands,” Liddell said. “The best of the best. There are impromptu jam sessions in the hallway. We were winners when we showed up.”
The judges have actually already identified — but not yet revealed — the top band based on Saturday’s performances. Sunday’s concert is a showcase for the three finalists.
But you should have seen the Central band light up Lincoln Center Saturday. It would have made even the hardest-hearted Memphian proud to see what a bunch of kids from the city could do.
No band got a bigger ovation. No band played with such unbridled joy.
“That’s really what it’s about,” Liddell said. “Music is about how it makes you feel. The emotion and the energy, that’s the spirt of Memphis. We play with the spirit of the city, man.”
--
Margo Macdonald
On May 11, 2025, at 8:43 PM, Paul Sisco <phs...@gmail.com> wrote:
Great news, Robert. It’s heart-warming to an old alumnus to see the school get national and even international recognition.
On Sun, 11 May 2025 at 7:47 PM, 'Robert Coker' via Cubs63 <cub...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
https://www.actionnews5.com/2025/05/11/local-high-school-wins-international-jazz-band-competition/
Calkins: Central High lights up the stage — and advances to finals in New York.
By Geoff Calkins, Daily MemphianUpdated: May 11, 2025 1:19 PM CT | Published: May 10, 2025 9:27 PM CT
<image001.jpg>
The Central High Jazz Band will perform Sunday, May 11 at The Metropolitan Opera. They are among three finalists selected from 30 bands that made it to the Essentially Ellington contest in New York. (Courtesy Ollie Liddell)
Daily Memphian
Geoff Calkins
After all the jazz bands performed, they announced the three bands that had advanced to the finals of the Essentially Ellington contest.
One was a group from Barcelona, Spain. Another was from a dedicated arts school in Florida.
The final name to be announced?
Central High School, from Memphis.
“The kids really brought the joy,” said the band’s director, Ollie Liddell. “This has been absolutely wonderful.”
The three finalists will play as part of a larger concert Sunday at The Metropolitan Opera — a concert that that includes the Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis.
The concert begins at 1 p.m. Central. The Central High School jazz band is expected to perform at approximately 2 p.m.
And, yes, a winner will be announced when the concert is over. But University of Memphis saxophone professor Michael Shults put Central’s accomplishment in perspective in a posting on X after the three finalists were announced: “This is George Mason in the Final Four territory.”
“Music is about how it makes you feel. The emotion and the energy, that’s the spirt of Memphis. We play with the spirit of the city, man.”
Ollie Liddell
Central High band directorIt was an accomplishment just for Central to make the cut as one of the 30 bands invited to Lincoln Center. It was an even greater accomplishment to be one of the 10 bands that advanced to Saturday’s round.
But to make the final three?
<image002.jpg>
Ollie Liddell (in a file photo) the band director at Central High, works with his jazz band preparing for the Essentially Ellington contest. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)“These are phenomenal bands,” Liddell said. “The best of the best. There are impromptu jam sessions in the hallway. We were winners when we showed up.”
The judges have actually already identified — but not yet revealed — the top band based on Saturday’s performances. Sunday’s concert is a showcase for the three finalists.
But you should have seen the Central band light up Lincoln Center Saturday. It would have made even the hardest-hearted Memphian proud to see what a bunch of kids from the city could do.
No band got a bigger ovation. No band played with such unbridled joy.
“That’s really what it’s about,” Liddell said. “Music is about how it makes you feel. The emotion and the energy, that’s the spirt of Memphis. We play with the spirit of the city, man.”
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Cubs63" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cubs63+un...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cubs63/026901dbc2ce%24faf91140%24f0eb33c0%24%40comcast.net.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Cubs63" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cubs63+un...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cubs63/CAByOJrJBbjv9ROrN0%2BtnDfxNqUJ1%2BA0SJaD9_Zwm%2BLZiqtF3TQ%40mail.gmail.com.
Raymond Spence
What a wonderful accomplishment for these kids and our school and our city!!!
Raymond
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cubs63/93449669-2BFB-4140-87CD-DD0406F8D30A%40gmail.com.