30th smf, day nine, noon and night, part 2

I just love the Swing Central Jazz grand finale!
Not only do I get to hear the teenagers play, but also the professionals who have worked with them this week.
Kudos to the Memphis Central High School Jazz Band for winning the competition this year!
Tarpon Springs High School Jazz Ensemble grabbed second place, with Raleigh's Enloe High School Jazz Ambassadors placing third out of the twelve finalists.

Bravo to all!
Bravo, also, to all of the Swing Central Jazz clinicians for helping these young people to advance their craft and to gain experience from playing with professionals.
In fact, the Swing Central Jazz Education program, now in its 12th year, is 'graduating' out of high schools. Beginning next year, SCJ will be taking the workshops - as well as instruments - into local middle schools, for underprivileged children. I couldn't help but remember myself at that age. I had so wanted to learn the viola! But my family, with four children, had no money for such luxuries. I landed in the Glee Club instead, learning to read music, work within a group, and harmonize.
How would my life have changed if I had been able to join the band?
Thanks to the Savannah Music Festival's incorporation of their new program next year, the option to learn an instrument will be open to all children.
Amen to that!

Soon enough, the set was rearranged and it was time for "Romance, Swing and the Blues"!
That meant the Modern Jazz Generation took the stage, performing the suite of songs Marcus Roberts had composed in 1993, when he was 30 years old.
In 2014, the group had the 2-disc album funded through kickstarter, to preserve the work, including some additions made in 2012.
Now, at last, we in Savannah were able to hear the twelve-song composition in its entirety!
What bliss for us and the students in attendance!
Marcus described the musical work as an exploration and expression of the four stages of romance. Those were, in his words: attraction; projection (perfect in each other's eyes); conflict; and resolution.
Modern Jazz Generation consists of ... exactly twelve members. Perfect! That allowed each one to introduce the twelve songs!
Some were rather humorous, as was the case for the final piece, "Tomorrow's Promises". Jason Marsalis led up to the title with an old joke.
"What is always coming, but never arrives?"
"Tomorrow, because it becomes Today."
(smile!)
Drummers are so much fun, aren't they?
Especially when they have a surprise tucked up their sleeves... as he did!
During the piece titled "Oh, No, How Could You?", everyone is making music with their instruments, just like they have many times before during the past seven years.
Well, almost everyone was doing so.
Jason Marsalis did a "pucker up and blow" during the tune!
He whistled!!!
Just for me!!!
I know he heard me whistling during their snack break earlier this week. I was trying to stay out of their way, so I was walking around in the stage area. And, as is my norm when I'm happy and content, I was whistling a merry tune... which just happened to be the last song they had been rehearsing.
I'm sure that he picked up on that.
(smile)
I'm sure Marcus did, too, while he enjoyed the protein bar I gave him.
(smile!)
I'm so glad they added that little twist into the tune for me!
How do I know that the whistling isn't usually part of that song?
Well, listen here, at time stamp 27:21, to that third song listed.
See???
No whistle!
That was specially added for me.
Thanks, Jason and Marcus!
i thank You, God, for this blessing!