The Official Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Website

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. TV: Homecoming: Jimmie Lunceford's Mississippi Blues Trail Marker Ceremony

2011-07-07T10:50:00.000-07:00

http://blip.tv/we-all-be-tv/homecoming-jimmie-lunceford-s-mississippi-blues-trail-marker-ceremony-5247774

To learn more about Jimmie Lunceford & The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Please Visit The Following Link:

http://www.jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com

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Attn: Ronald Herd II
The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival

P.O. Box 752062

Memphis,TN 38175

Jazznocracy At Its Finest: Jimmie Lunceford Mississippi Blues Trail Marker Ceremony

2011-07-07T10:22:00.000-07:00

Jazznocracy At Its Finest: Jimmie Lunceford Mississippi Blues Trail Marker Ceremony

By r2c2h2 tha artivist

Tha Artivist Sends His Jazznocratic Regards To The Town Of Fulton & Itawamba County, MS, For Job Well Done In Honoring Jimmie Lunceford!!!

On June 6, 1902, A Music Prophet Was Born, But On June 4, 2011 The Prophet Finally Got The Honor & Respect He Was Due From His Hometown That Eluded Him In Life…Jimmie Lunceford Was Finally Immortalized In The Land Of His Birth On The Mississippi Blues Trail…

I had the honor of attending this heartwarming ceremony or maybe I was warm because it was 100 degrees outside in the Delta Sun which seemed to shine bright and eternal like Jimmie Lunceford’s genius…Anyways I truly felt like a long lost cousin..I was truly welcomed by the southern hospitality, ice cold old timey country lemonade and the generosity of the town folks…It was truly beautiful to see a community come together to honor a native son who gave the world such timeless artistic gifts…I felt truly empowered by the community’s enthusiasm, to me their unity represented the essence of what Jimmie Lunceford was truly all about: uniting and empowering a community of decent people for the common good that benefits the whole of huemanity…

I truly enjoyed how beautiful poetess extraordinaire Sis. Patricia Neely-Dorsey put moving lyrics to Lunceford’s sonic sound in her poem, A King Of Swing:

A KING OF SWING
It's all the new thing,
They said of that swing;
It was a whole lot of jazz,
But with an added pizzazz.
A Count and a Duke
Made the big bands sing;
But from the Southland,
There came a new King.
James Melvin Lunceford entered,
Onto the world stage
And his bold, lively rhythms
Became all the rage.
With grand spectacle, showmanship, humor,
And a flashy, unique style;
He led his ensembles ,
With a dazzling smile.
Born in a Mississippi hill town,
And ascending to great fame;
His renowned Lunceford two-beat
Would forever cement his name.

Copyright 2011 Patricia Neely-Dorsey
original composition for Mississippi Blues Trail dedication ceremony in honor of James Melvin "Jimmie" Lunceford
Itawamba County native son

Check Out More Of This Unsung Magnolia State Laureate's Genius @ The Following Website:

http://www.patricianeelydorsey.webs.com/

Also U.S. District Judge & Former Fulton mayor Mike Mills brought good humored conjecture and facts as well as local color commentary to the legacy of Jimmie Lunceford and his Itawamaba county roots…Fulton Alderman Hayward Wilson paid a touching tribute to Jimmie Lunceford legacy of music and philanthropy…

I, Tha Artivist, humbly gave my off the cuff remarks and perspective of Jimmie Lunceford’s rich legacy as it pertains to its seminal importance in the Memphis Music Heritage continuum as well as touched upon his exceptional huemanitarian and philanthropic efforts…I first shared with the audience how I changed Jimmie Lunceford’s birthplace from Fulton, Missouri to the correct Fulton, Mississippi which met with a loud round of cheers of approval I guess you can say that Pres. Obama isn’t the only person with birthplace issues…I also chimed me that in spite of Mississippi’s rough past that the state in my humble opinion probably produced more geniuses than any state in the union which also met the approval of the audience…I also shared with them the picture I created in honor of Lunceford’s legacy and for the special occasion entitled “The Lunceford Way” which of course I have autographed prints available for purchase…Overall the presentation was received with both great applause, appreciation and laughs…

Alex Thomas from the Mississippi Development Authority and the supervisor over The Mississippi Blues Trail Marker program shared with us his ties to the Lunceford Legacy as well as his enthusiasm in seeing Lunceford finally get his due in his native state…

My friend and contact person on this project, Bro. Shawn Green, did a masterful job of emceeing this historic occasion...

Once again, I would like to thank the good folks of Fulton in Itawamba County,MS, for allowing me the privilege of sharing in the celebration of their famous native son Jimmie Lunceford's Mississippi Blues Trail Marker Ceremony on June 4, 2011...Yall Truly Made A Stranger Feel Like Family...Jimmie Lunceford Still Bringing Folks Together For A Beautiful Cause In Death As He Did In Life...Long Live The King Of Sonic Swing! One ♥!

About Jimmie Lunceford

His band formed by his students, @ first known as The Chickensaw Syncopators, were very popular locally and was also heard on local radio…In 1930, He took his band, composed of his best high school students and buddies from Fisk University, left Memphis and became the house band at the famous Cotton Club...His orchestra was also the number one attraction at the legendary Apollo Theatre for a decade and was known as the Harlem Express, the number one band of choice for African Americans in the nation during the 1930S and the 1940S...He Was Known As The King Of The Battle Of The Bands Because His Orchestra Would Constantly Beat Those Lead By Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller in popularity contests and cut throat competition...

His songs were heavily featured in popular cartoons of the era and the Lunceford Orchestra even made a cameo appearance in “Blues In The Night” (1941), one of the most popular musicals of that era…

Jimmie Lunceford was a beast, a music revolutionary in terms of pure showmanship way ahead of its time his orchestra was made for tv!!!! Jimmie Lunceford's Orchestra was the greatest show on earth, nobody's band including Duke's surpassed him in showmanship and presentation...Everybody from Glenn Miller, Jimmy Dorsey to Count Basie wanted both his sound and his look...

Although Jimmie Lunceford was a phenomenal athlete who excelled in track, football, baseball, basketball and was a golden gloves boxer, his true passion was empowering folks through the gift of his music abilities…Being a social worker he thought that music could change and save lives…He saw himself as a music Johnny Appleseed planting this love throughout the country by starting music education programs for youths…

He placed a high premium on education being that he was among the few Black Band leaders of that era to actually obtain a college degree…Also many members in his band were college educated or at least had their high school diplomas another rarity…

Lunceford was well respected among his men and he also never cuss, drink or gamble…However, he had a passion or fetish for planes…Him and his beautiful wife Crystal Tulli Lunceford were experienced pilots and owned several air planes which was a rare exception considering that many African Americans were not allowed to attend flight schools in the U.S.…

He also wanted to start a retirement community for older musicians before he died under mysterious circumstances while signing autographs before a concert in Seaside Oregon on July 12, 1947 @ the age of 45…Some folks including his band members believed that he was poisoned by a racist restaurant owner who at first refused to serve Jimmie and his Orchestra…Even some of the other band members became sick that evening as well…

Learn More About The Amazing Life And Legacy Of Jimmie Lunceford: http://www.jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com/

Mississippi Blues Trail Marker Official Website:

http://www.msbluestrail.org/index.aspx

(Special Thanks To Bro. Bob Franks & Sis. Patricia Neely-Dorsey For Some Of The Photo Contributions)

The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Needs Your Support...Give To Grow The Movement!

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Attn: Ronald Herd II

P.O. Box 752062

Memphis,TN 38175

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio: Homecoming: Jimmie Lunceford's Mississippi Blues Trail Marker Tribute

2011-06-24T01:24:00.000-07:00

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio: Homecoming: Jimmie Lunceford's Mississippi Blues Trail Marker Tribute

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2011/06/15/tha-artivist-presentswe-all-be-radio-3

If You Want To Order An Autographed 11" x 17" Print Signed By "Tha Artivist" (Without The Watermarks) For Just $10 Plus $5 Shipping & Handling Then Go To The Following Link:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=MGV9NW232R7DE

To learn more about Jimmie Lunceford & The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Please Visit The Following Link:

http://www.jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com/

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https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=10544097+

Or you can mail us a money order:

Attn: Ronald Herd II

P.O. Box 752062

Memphis,TN 38175

"The Lunceford Way" Print Signed By 'Tha Artivist' For Only $10...Gets Yours Today!!!

2011-06-15T05:12:00.000-07:00

"The Lunceford Way" Print Signed By 'Tha Artivist' For Only $10...Gets Yours Today!!!

About "The Lunceford Way"

"The Lunceford Way" by r2c2h2 (6/1/2011, 30" x40") ink pen and whiteout. This is my tribute to Jazz Legend Jimmie Lunceford who was the first high school band director and started music education in The Memphis City Schools back in the 1920s. He was not even hired to be a music instructor but yet believed in the power of music to change lives and wanted to share his passions with young people...He took his band, composed of his best high school students and buddies from Fisk University, left Memphis and became the house band at the famous Cotton Club...His orchestra was also the number one attraction at the legendary Apollo Theatre for a decade and was known as the Harlem Express, the number one band of choice for African Americans IN THE NATION DURING THE 1930S AND THE 1940S...He Was Known As The King Of The Battle Of The Bands Because His Orchestra Would Constantly Beat Those Lead By Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller in popularity contests and cut throat competition...

To learn more about Jimmie Lunceford & The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Please Visit The Following Link:

http://www.jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com/

The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Needs Your Support...Give To Grow The Movement!
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=10544097+

Or you can mail us a money order:

Attn: Ronald Herd II

P.O. Box 752062

Memphis,TN 38175

Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra Alum, 2007 Jimmie Lunceford Legacy Awardee & Jazz Great Snooky Young Dead @ 92

2011-06-08T02:19:00.000-07:00

Video: Snooky Young On "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" - 1989

http://youtu.be/ii867y0l_eg

Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra Alum, 2007 Jimmie Lunceford Legacy Awardee & Jazz Great Snooky Young Dead @ 92

Lil Big Horn: Snooky Young In The Middle With His Long Time Friend & Collaborator Fellow 2007 Lunceford Legacy Awardee Gerald Wilson To His Left & Paul Webster, Performing In The Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra (1941)

Snooky Young, trumpeter with Count Basie and ‘Tonight Show,’ dies at 92
By Matt Schudel, Published: May 14, 2011
Washington Post

Snooky Young, an ageless jazz trumpeter who performed in nine decades and was a longtime member of Johnny Carson’s “Tonight Show” band, died May 11 at a relative’s home in Newport Beach, Calif. He was 92 and had complications from a lung disorder.

Mr. Young, who began his career in the 1930s, was one of the last active survivors of the Age of Swing. He was a diminutive trumpeter with a big sound, and he anchored the trumpet sections of big bands led by such renowned musicians as Jimmie Lunceford, Count Basie, Lionel Hampton and Benny Carter.

He performed on movie soundtracks, including “The Color Purple,” “New York, New York” and “Blazing Saddles” and appeared as a sideman on albums by artists as diverse as B.B. King, Quincy Jones and the rock group the Band.

Mr. Young, who recorded only three albums as a leader of small groups, preferred the brassy, roaring sound of a big band. His specialty was in playing first trumpet, or lead, in a big band. Although he didn’t solo as much as other players in the section, he usually played a tune’s melody and, with his soaring high notes, formed the core of the band’s trumpet sound.

“Snooky is one of the world’s all-time great trumpet players,” saxophonist Bob Cooper told the Los Angeles Times in 1992. “I can always feel it in the sax section when he’s playing — his time, his interpretation of the material, his sound.”

Mr. Young’s trumpet can be heard on such classic recordings as Lunceford’s “Uptown Blues” (1939) and Basie’s “The Atomic Mr. Basie” (1957), which featured the Neal Hefti tune “Li’l Darlin’.” In 1941, he played the trumpet part for Jack Carson’s character in the jazz movie “Blues in the Night” and appeared in the film as a musician.

Mr. Young joined NBC’s celebrated “Tonight Show” studio band in New York in 1962 and stayed on when the show moved to California 10 years later. He was sometimes featured in solos or in musical duels with the band’s leader, trumpeter Doc Severinsen. The ensemble broke up when Carson retired in 1992.

“It was a great band in New York,” Mr. Young recalled in a 2008 interview for the National Endowment for the Arts. “But when it got to California, I think it might have even got to be better.”

Eugene Edward Young was born Feb. 3, 1919, in Dayton, Ohio, and was called “Snooky” for as long as he could remember. He began playing trumpet at 5 and appeared in his family’s band, the Young Snappy Six.

By age 7, he was winning talent contests by imitating the playing and singing of Louis Armstrong. In the NEA interview, he said that he met Armstrong when he was very young.

“My mom saw him and stopped him and said, ‘Louis Armstrong, this is my son, Snooky,’ ” he recalled. “ ‘He wants to play trumpet like you and he admires you very much.’ I can still remember, Louis hugged me and said many really nice things to me.”

After working in Lunceford’s band from 1939 to 1942, Mr. Young joined Basie and later played with Hampton and Carter. He rejoined Basie in the late 1940s and again from 1957 to 1962.

From 1947 to 1957, Mr. Young led small groups in Dayton. He was a founding member of the highly regarded Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra in 1966 and, in later years, often toured with Severinsen and performed with the Gerald Wilson Orchestra and Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. He was was named an NEA Jazz Master in 2009.

Survivors include his wife of 72 years, Dorothy Simmons Young of Van Nuys, Calif.; three children, Judy Andrews of Newport Beach, Calif., Granville Young of Thousand Oaks, Calif., and Donna Hoo of Van Nuys, Calif.; seven grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

The trumpet is a physically demanding instrument, but Mr. Young remained active until the end. According to his family, he practiced three to four hours every day.

Early in his career, he said, he tried to emulate Armstrong, “but I got older and realized you can’t be another musician, you have to find your own way.”

To learn more about Jimmie Lunceford & The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Please Visit The Following Link:

http://www.jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com

The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Needs Your Support...Give To Grow The Movement!

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=10544097%20

Or you can mail us a money order:

Attn: Ronald Herd II
The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival

P.O. Box 752062

Memphis,TN 38175

Itawamba County Times: MDA Unveils Fulton Blues Marker

2011-06-08T00:50:00.000-07:00

Itawamba County Times: MDA Unveils Fulton Blues Marker

by Adam Armour/Itawamba County Times

http://www.itawamba360.com/view/full_story/13833158/article-MDA-unveils-Fulton-blues-marker?

06.05.11 - 05:40 am

Fulton Mayor Paul Walker and Alex Thomas of the Mississippi Development Authority unveil the Mississippi Blues Trail Marker recognizing famed swing orchestra conductor Jimmie Lunceford, while members of Lunceford’s family look on. (Photo by Adam Armour)

FULTON - On a humid June day in 1902, Fulton gave birth to a music legend.

After more than a century, on a day much like that one, his hometown finally paid its respect.

The Mississippi Development Authority officially unveiled the Mississippi Blues Trail Marker on Saturday for world famous 1920s and 1930s swing band orchestra conductor Jimmie Lunceford in his hometown. A crowd of more than two dozen, including members of the Lunceford family, attended.

The double-sided marker placed downtown briefly recounts Lunceford's life on one side and details his musical influence on the other. Fulton now joins other cities along the Mississippi Blues Trail, including Hattiesburg, Jackson, Aberdeen, New Albany and others.

Alex Thomas of the Mississippi Development Authority spoke of the importance of recognizing Mississippi's great native sons and daughters.

Lunceford was born just northeast of Fulton. After attending college, he began teaching high school in Memphis, where he organized what would later become the Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra.

By the 1930s, Lunceford's band was considered by many to be the equal of Duke Ellington's and Count Basie's. He toured throughout the United States and Europe until his sudden death in 1947. He is buried in Memphis.

Lunceford's marker is the first of two music markers planned for Itawamba County. The MDA plans to unveil a marker for country musician and Tremont native Tammy Wynette in August.

Contact Adam Armour at (662) 862-3141 or adam.armour@journalinc.com.

© itawamba360.com 2011

To learn more about Jimmie Lunceford & The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Please Visit The Following Link:

http://www.jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com

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The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival

P.O. Box 752062

Memphis,TN 38175

MIKE MILLS: 'King Of Syncopation' A Big Part Of Itawamba's Musical Heritage

2011-06-08T00:21:00.000-07:00

MIKE MILLS: 'King Of Syncopation' A Big Part Of Itawamba's Musical Heritage

by Mike Mills

06.04.11 - 06:25 am

The line between Alabama and Mississippi, not to mention the line between Itawamba, Franklin and Marion Counties, is often blurred, if not downright confusing. Some of the early settlers in Red Bay thought they were in Mississippi and some of the Tremont folk thought they had settled in Alabama. And no doubt some folk around Bexar thought they had found Texas.

The citizens of these neighboring communities share much in common. Black-eyed peas and cornbread are a staple in our diet. We all know a home grown tomato properly sliced and peppered and put on white bread smeared generously with mayonnaise is the best thing either side of the Tombigbee. We all cook with Sunflower Self-Rising Corn Meal and sop our biscuits in Golden Eagle Syrup. And we share a regional proprietary claim to the First Lady of Country Music, Tammy Wynette, formerly known as Tammy Pugh, and of course born near Tremont in Itawamba County, Mississippi.

Much has been written about Tammy Wynette's humble beginnings near Tremont. Another prominent former sharecropper in Itawamba County was Miss Rosella Presley, from out east of Fulton. According to local sources, Rosella sometimes frequented an Itawamba business establishment known as The Linger Longer where she may have made acquaintance with the father of one or more of her 10 illegitimate children. She never married. Her grandson, Vernon Presley, was born in Fulton, but later moved to the Shakerag community in East Tupelo. He was the father of the King. As in Rock-N-Roll. An art form. (See the internet web-site .)

Tammy and Elvis made it to the top of their chosen art forms with little education, much determination, and a lot of talent. I love both of them as entertainers. And respect each for the gifts they gave the world.

One would suppose Itawamba County ought to be satisfied with being the seminal ground for the King of Rock and the First Lady of Country Music. But no.

A young fellow named James Melvin "Jimmie" Lunceford was born in the Evergreen community in Itawamba County in 1902. According to noted Itawamba historian Bob Franks, Lunceford's people were initially well to do landowners in the African-American community of Palmetto east of Fulton where his grandfather owned 150 acres off the old Warren plantation. The young Jimmie may have played in the red dirt hills drained by Bull Mountain Creek and Dulaney Branch. Little Jimmie went on to lead one of the greatest jazz bands of his day. He would be known as the King of Syncopation.

Jimmie's people found a way for him to attain a higher education at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. (While there he dated the daughter of W.E.B. Dubois, a prominent black philosopher and founder of the NAACP.) He majored in music and mastered many instruments.

After graduating from college, Jimmie began teaching music at Manassas High School in Memphis where he organized a group of his students into a band called The Chickasaw Syncopators. This group later evolved into Jimmie Lunceford's Orchestra which scored big in 1934 at the Cotton Club in Harlem. The band became known for a two-beat swing and polished showmanship and gained a national reputation. For 10 years they were the top attraction at the Apollo Theatre where the band was known as The Harlem Express. His songs have been described as sophisticated, cheerful and boisterous. Major hits include White Heat, Jazznocracy, Rhythm is Our Business, In Dat Mornin' and Swingin' Uptown.

In his day, Jimmie Lunceford from outside Fulton, Mississippi was bigger than his contemporaries, Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington. Glenn Miller, who borrowed from the Lunceford style, said, "Duke Ellington is great, [Count} Basie is remarkable, but Lunceford tops them both." (Quote from Determeyer's excellent Lunceford biography, Rhythm Is Our Business, 2006.) Unfortunately Jimmie has not enjoyed the lasting fame of many of his contemporaries. His full potential may not have been reached since he died an early death in 1947 when he collapsed while signing autographs in Seaside, Oregon. He is buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis.

A tip of the hat for this piece must go to Rubye Del Harden who wrote about Jimmie in the 1960s; to Fulton musician and author Bob Gilliland who more recently published a piece about him in Itawamba Settlers; and to Oxonian Scott Baretta who prevailed upon the powers that be to finally establish a Jimmie Lunceford marker on the Fulton Courthouse grounds.

And to bring it on home as they say in the music business, what do we make of a few sections of hilly land east of Fulton which not only grow lush Kudzu and stout Mimosa trees but which also produced some of the finest entertainers in America? Well I think if you or your daddy ever ran barefooted in the sandy red ditch banks of an Itawamba gravel road, or if you got baptized or went skinny dipping in Dulaney branch or if you ever tasted the ice cold waters of Bull Mountain Creek (either straight or improved with local corn products), then you have the makin's of mastering an art form yourself.

Mike Mills, a native of Itawamba County, is a U.S. District Court judge.

Marker dedication

- Dedication of a Mississippi Blues Trail marker honoring Jimmie Lunceford will be at 12:30 p.m. today in Playgarden Park in downtown Fulton.

© itawamba360.com 2011

To learn more about Jimmie Lunceford & The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Please Visit The Following Link:

http://www.jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com

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Attn: Ronald Herd II
The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival

P.O. Box 752062

Memphis,TN 38175

Promo Video: Homecoming: Jimmie Lunceford's Mississippi Blues Trail Marker Ceremony

2011-06-02T01:16:00.001-07:00

Promo Video: Homecoming: Jimmie Lunceford's Mississippi Blues Trail Marker Ceremony
http://blip.tv/we-all-be-tv/6-4-2011-homecoming-jimmie-lunceford-s-mississippi-blues-trail-marker-ceremony-5233078

What: A Homecoming 109 Years In

The Making:

Mississippi Blues

Trail Marker Ceremony For

Jazz Great Jimmie Lunceford

When: Saturday 6/4/2011

Where: Fulton,MS

(Fulton City Hall On The Town

Square)

213 W Wiygul St, Fulton, MS 38843

Time: 12:30 PM Central

About Jimmie Lunceford

Jimmie Lunceford was the first Memphis City Schools high school band director and started music education in The Memphis City Schools back in the 1920s. He was not even hired to be a music instructor but yet believed in the power of music to change lives and wanted to share his passions with young people...He took his band, composed of his best high school students and buddies from Fisk University, left Memphis and became the house band at the famous Cotton Club...His orchestra was also the number one attraction at the legendary Apollo Theatre for a decade and was known as the Harlem Express, the number one band of choice for African Americans IN THE NATION DURING THE 1930S AND THE 1940S...He Was Known As The King Of The Battle Of The Bands Because His Orchestra Would Constantly Beat Those Lead By Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller in popularity contests and cut throat competition...

To learn more about Jimmie Lunceford & The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Please Visit The Following Link:

http://www.jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com

The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Needs Your Support...Give To Grow The Movement!

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=10544097%20

Or you can mail us a money order:

Attn: Ronald Herd II

P.O. Box 752062

Memphis,TN 38175

Hometown Hero:Jazz Great Jimmie Lunceford Gets Blues Trial Marker In Fulton,MS (6/4/2011)

2011-05-24T09:59:00.000-07:00

For More Information On Jimmie Lunceford & The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Please Visit The Official Website:

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2010-12-31T10:37:00.000-08:00

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"Jimmie Lunceford Has The Best Of All Bands. Duke [Ellington] Is Great, [Count] Basie Is Remarkable, But Lunceford Tops Them Both."

-- Legendary Swing Band Leader Glenn Miller

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All Of The Proceeds Will Go To Support The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival & Other Related Programs!!!

The Purpose Of Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival:

To Honor And Bring Awareness To The Forgotten And Impressive Legacy And Achievements Of Jimmie Lunceford, The First High School Band Orchestra Leader/Conductor In The History Of The Memphis City Schools…Lunceford, A Fisk University Graduate, Was Hired As A Teacher Of English,Spanish And Physical Education At Manassas High School Back In The 1920s...He Also Served As The School's Baseball And Football Coach...He Started The First Memphis City Schools' Band/Orchestra With Money Out Of His Own Pocket And Donations From The Community...

He Later Took His Band Of High School Students And Turned Them Into A Professional And Popular Local Memphis Band Known As The Chickasaw Syncopators…

In the early 1930s Lunceford took his band to the legendary Cotton Club in Harlem, NY to take over as the house band for Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway…The group eventually became known as The Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra…The Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra would regularly broadcast live from the Cotton Club gaining a huge national audience…Jimmie Lunceford would constantly beat the great swing bands of his era in numerous “battle of the bands” contests including those led by Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman and Chick Webb…The Lunceford Orchestra Was Known For Their Amazing Ensemble Play, Singing , Choreography And Overall Showmanship...They were known as The Harlem Express because of their huge African American following and was the top draw act at the world famous Apollo Theatre for 10 years...The Lunceford Orchestra was considered by many including Glenn Miller and Miles Davis to be one of if not the best swing band ever!!!

Unfortunately, Jimmie Lunceford (after dying under mysterious circumstances on July 12, 1947 in Seaside, Oregon) has been forgotten by many in the Memphis Community for 61 years and counting…

Jimmie Lunceford, the essence of a true teacher, never forgot about Memphis or Manassas High School and would constantly come back to talk to students at Manassas High School and hold free concerts despite being one of the most popular bandleaders in the country, Black or White…

The purpose of this event is to bring awareness about Jimmie Lunceford and to instill community pride in the achievements and accomplishments of a native Memphian who never forgot Memphis…Jimmie Lunceford’s remains are interred at the famous Elmwood Cemetery along with his wonderful legacy...We @ the Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival look forward to changing that same old sad song & swinging a new brighter tune!!!

Please Visit The Official Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Website:
http://www.jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com

Help Us Raise Monies For The Jimmie Lunceford Scholars Fund For Deserving Memphis City Schools Students...
http://jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com/2007/10/help-us-raise-monies-for-jimmie.html

Help Us Get Jimmie Lunceford A Brass Note On Beale Street!!!
http://jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com/2007/10/help-us-get-jimmie-lunceford-brass-note.html

Thanks Once Again For Supporting This Wonderful Venture And Please Spread The Word!!!

Jazznocracily Yours,

Tha Artivist
http://www.r2c2h2.com
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe
http://www.weallbe.blogspot.com
http://www.soldierboygrip.blogspot.com
http://www.jazzlieutenant.blogspot.com
http://www.jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. TV: Tha Artivist Salutes Jimmie Lunceford

2010-12-22T06:50:00.001-08:00

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. TV: Tha Artivist Salutes Jimmie Lunceford

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4Zn4l6MDyY

For More Information On Jimmie Lunceford & The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Please Visit The Official Website:

http://www.jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com

***

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Needs Your Support...Give To Grow The Movement!
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2010/03/we-all-be-needs-your-supportgive-to.html

Or

PayPal It:

https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=v10QNJdUzMBITHnM_P5eq7JV_exbWq6yE9GuQFqv2TdbiTFxdS-aPPdHu1O&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8d9384d85353843a619606282818e091d0

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. TV: Jimmie Lunceford...Memphis Music's Missing Chapter: A Conversation With Dr. Jack T. Cooper

2010-12-13T01:14:00.000-08:00

(c) The W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Group, Inc.

"Jimmie Lunceford...Memphis Music's Missing Chapter: A Conversation With Dr. Jack T. Cooper"

(Interview Conducted December 2008)

Dr. Jack T. Cooper Is The Associate Professor & Director Of Jazz And Studio Music @ The University Of Memphis. He discusses with The JLJF the importance of Jimmie Lunceford's music legacy to the Memphis Sound and its lasting impact on the jazz idiom...Also discussed is Lunceford's true rank among his peers in the Jazz Pantheon.

***
Watch The Full Doc:

http://blip.tv/file/4460437

***

Or Watch It In 3 Parts:
Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA2QXdXKpg4

***

Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbe5ItsPEhA

***

Part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fEmKzi8wnQ

***

For More Information On Jimmie Lunceford & The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Please Visit The Official Website:

http://www.jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com

Jimmie Lunceford @ Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmie_Lunceford

***

Please Spread The Good News & Don’t Forget To Donate To A Truly Worthy Cause!

https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=3ThQ1wKpLSxYPTyETqFpfNx_KSPnq5446TMR-L-e5CjVSJEF8NU8RdBEeMi&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8d9384d85353843a619606282818e091d0

Or Send A Check Or Money Order To The Following Address:

Attn: Ron Herd II

The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival

P.O. Box 752062

Memphis, TN 38175

(At This Present Time Donations Are Not Tax Deductible)

Jazznocracily Yours,
Ronald Herd II

a.k.a.

Tha Artivist

Founder of the W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Group Inc.

AMPLIFY W.E. A.L.L. B.E.!

http://www.weallbe.blogspot.com

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe

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http://weallbetv.blip.tv/posts?view=archive&nsfw=dc

http://www.r2c2h2.com

http://www.jazzlieutenant.blogspot.com
http://www.soldierboygrip.blogspot.com

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. TV: U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen Sings The Praises Of Jimmie Lunceford

2010-11-29T20:04:00.000-08:00

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen Sings The Praises Of Jimmie Lunceford

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vadBXzIkbH0

***

For More Information On Jimmie Lunceford & The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Please Visit The Official Website:

http://www.jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. TV: Spreading The Jimmie Lunceford Legend Via 21ST Century Technology Is Our Business…Support The JLJF Movement.

2010-11-29T12:23:00.000-08:00

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. TV: Spreading The Jimmie Lunceford Legend Via 21^ST Century Technology Is Our Business…Support The JLJF Movement.

"Jimmie Lunceford Has The Best Of All Bands. Duke [Ellington] Is Great, [Count] Basie Is Remarkable, But Lunceford Tops Them Both."

-- Legendary Swing Band Leader Glenn Miller

"Jimmy Lunceford Was Buried Here In Memphis. The Spot He Occupies Should Have Something Of A Special Significance. ...He Took A Group Of Relatively Unsophisticated Memphis Colored Boys And Welded Them Into An Organization Which Scaled The Heights Of Musical Eminence. ... He Presented Something New In The Way Of Musical Presentations By Negro Orchestras. "

"Lunceford and many others like him chose to remain at home, and with their people. [His death] should have meaning in inspiration and guidance to others. If we permit it, Lunceford's burial in Memphis can mean this."

--Legendary Memphis Educator And Syndicated Columnist Nat D. Williams

We Need Your Support. Please Consider Donating…

Or Send A Check Or Money Order To The Following Address:

Attn: Ron Herd II

The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival

P.O. Box 752062

Memphis, TN 38175

(At This Present Time Donations Are Not Tax Deductible)

Please Continue Reading To Find Out Why…

2012 Is Not The Ending, It’s Just The Beginning!

Please enjoy these recent tv documentaries that were produced by W.E. A.L.L. B.E. TV that exposes the true genius and staying power of the Jimmie Lunceford Legacy. The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival (JLJF) will be honoring this unsung genius and the first self-proclaimed high school band director in Memphis City Schools History in a one year celebration in “The City Of Good Abode” starting in 2012 which will mark the 110th Anniversary of his birth and 65 years since his untimely passing.

We will have art exhibits, symposiums, workshops, parties, plays, battle of the bands and music concerts among many other things to give this man the greatest tribute from the city that helped manifest his show biz dream of an exceptional swing band composed of his best high school students and college buddies and a city he loved so much that he saw fit to be buried in it. We are also in the process of creating a scholarship fund for deserving students who are interested in continuing the living legacy of Jimmie Lunceford through pursuing excellence in music and music education… Please feel free to join us in raising the funds, awareness and enthusiasm for this amazing man and his timeless achievements.

Right now the City of Memphis is in dire need of an image makeover and what better way to give the city a facelift and self esteem boost than by giving it a truth serum of its own powerful and majestic history?

Our goal @ The JLJF is to make every single Memphian proud of our city’s heritage and true place in music history by encouraging music education and development for every school aged child at every school in the city. We also want to reestablish Memphis rightful place as a jazz mecca on par with other celebrated music cities such as New Orleans, Chicago and New York.

The JLJF represents a viable opportunity to build both true education and economic sustainability in a city that is not only the commercial hub of the nation but also arguably represents the cultural epicenter of the nation’s cultural heritage. What other city can lay claim to the following:

1.) Giving birth to the modern phenomenon known as the supermarket (Clarence Saunders’ Piggly Wiggly opened @ 79 Jefferson in Memphis in 1916).

2.) Tennessee Williams, one of the greatest America playwrights, premiered his first play "Cairo, Shanghai, Bombay!" in the Bluff City @ The Garden Players community theater in 1935. Regarding this production, Williams wrote, "The laughter ... enchanted me. Then and there the theatre and I found each other for better and for worse. I know it's the only thing that saved my life."

3.) 20^th Century Literary Giant Richard Wright spent his childhood in North Memphis in New Chicago.

4.) A man named Elvis who also lived in North Memphis made his music debut @ Sun Records and eventually had the world all shook up.

5.) The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, made her stage entry into the world she would rule with soul in South Memphis….

6.) The first All-Black cast and Oscar nominated Hollywood movie, “Hallelujah!”, was filmed not far from what is now present day LeMoyne Owen College.

7.) Louis Lettes, a Beale Street tailor, is credited with the creation of the zoot suit.

And Without Further Ado Here Are The New Docs Celebrating The Genius Of Jimmie Lunceford Created By W.E. A.L.L. B.E. TV:

A Sophisticated Lady Remembers The King Of Sonic Swing, Jimmie Lunceford, A Conversation With Sis. Katheryn Perry Thomas

Sis. Katheryn Perry Thomas

(1/19/1915-1/7/2008)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVNo6r4ki-w

***

Rep. Steve Cohen Sings The Praises Of Jimmie Lunceford

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vadBXzIkbH0

***

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. TV: Remembering Jimmie Lunceford, The Master Teacher Of Swing: An Interview With Jazz Great Gerald Wilson

Watch The Full Doc:

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. TV: Remembering Jimmie Lunceford, The Master Teacher Of Swing: An Interview With Jazz Great Gerald Wilson

http://blip.tv/file/4423316

***

Or Watch It In 3 Parts:

Remembering Jimmie Lunceford, The Master Teacher Of Swing: An Interview With Jazz Great Gerald Wilson

Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioPv2G1rABI

***

Remembering Jimmie Lunceford, The Master Teacher Of Swing: An Interview With Jazz Great Gerald Wilson

Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkaH2biwGp8

***

Remembering Jimmie Lunceford, The Master Teacher Of Swing: An Interview With Jazz Great Gerald Wilson

Part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb9aDe6hK0w

***

"Writing About Jimmie Lunceford Is His Business:
An Interview With Jazzophile & Pioneering Lunceford
Biographer Eddy Determeyer"

***Watch***

"Writing About Jimmie Lunceford Is His Business:
An Interview With Jazzophile & Pioneering Lunceford
Biographer Eddy Determeyer"

The Full Documentary:

http://blip.tv/file/4436037

Or View It In 4 Parts:

"Writing About Jimmie Lunceford Is His Business:
An Interview With Jazzophile & Pioneering Lunceford
Biographer Eddy Determeyer"

Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_igeJ2fL6d0

***

"Writing About Jimmie Lunceford Is His Business:
An Interview With Jazzophile & Pioneering Lunceford
Biographer Eddy Determeyer"

Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkES0KsHMWw

***

"Writing About Jimmie Lunceford Is His Business:
An Interview With Jazzophile & Pioneering Lunceford
Biographer Eddy Determeyer"

Part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsV2wyoiNgM

***

"Writing About Jimmie Lunceford Is His Business:
An Interview With Jazzophile & Pioneering Lunceford
Biographer Eddy Determeyer"

Part 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-SYCoJvi4c

***

"Jimmie Lunceford...Memphis Music's Missing Chapter: A Conversation With Dr. Jack T. Cooper"

(c) The W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Group, Inc.

***

Watch The Full Doc:

"Jimmie Lunceford...Memphis Music's Missing Chapter: A Conversation With Dr. Jack T. Cooper"

http://blip.tv/file/4460437

***

Or Watch It In 3 Parts:

"Jimmie Lunceford...Memphis Music's Missing Chapter: A Conversation With Dr. Jack T. Cooper"

Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA2QXdXKpg4

***

"Jimmie Lunceford...Memphis Music's Missing Chapter: A Conversation With Dr. Jack T. Cooper"

Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbe5ItsPEhA

***

"Jimmie Lunceford...Memphis Music's Missing Chapter: A Conversation With Dr. Jack T. Cooper"

Part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fEmKzi8wnQ

***

For More Information On Jimmie Lunceford & The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Please Visit The Official Website:

http://www.jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com

Jimmie Lunceford @ Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmie_Lunceford

***

Please Spread The Good News & Don’t Forget To Donate To A Truly Worthy Cause!

Or Send A Check Or Money Order To The Following Address:

Attn: Ron Herd II

The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival

P.O. Box 752062

Memphis, TN 38175

(At This Present Time Donations Are Not Tax Deductible)

Jazznocracily Yours,
Ronald Herd II

a.k.a.

Tha Artivist

Founder of the W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Group Inc.

AMPLIFY W.E. A.L.L. B.E.!

http://www.weallbe.blogspot.com

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe

http://www.youtube.com/weallbetv

http://weallbetv.blip.tv/posts?view=archive&nsfw=dc

http://www.r2c2h2.com

http://www.jazzlieutenant.blogspot.com
http://www.soldierboygrip.blogspot.com

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. TV: "Writing About Jimmie Lunceford Is His Business: An Interview With Jazzophile & Pioneering Lunceford Biographer Eddy Determeyer"

2010-11-27T06:44:00.000-08:00

"Writing About Jimmie Lunceford Is His Business:
An Interview With Jazzophile & Pioneering Lunceford
Biographer Eddy Determeyer"

(Interview Conducted
October 2007)

(Bro. Eddy Determeyer is on the left)

Bro. Eddy Determeyer is a native of the Netherlands and a pioneer in jazz scholarship...He wrote the first definitive biography about the life, career and legacy of Jimmie Lunceford, "Rhythm Is Our Business."

He is a 2007 Jimmie Lunceford Legacy Awardee for his exceptional contributions to music and music education.

***Watch***

"Writing About Jimmie Lunceford Is His Business:
An Interview With Jazzophile & Pioneering Lunceford
Biographer Eddy Determeyer"

The Full Documentary:

http://blip.tv/file/4436037

Or View It In 4 Parts:
Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_igeJ2fL6d0

***

Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkES0KsHMWw

***

Part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsV2wyoiNgM

***

Part 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-SYCoJvi4c

***

For More Information On Jimmie Lunceford & The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Please Visit The Official Website:

http://www.jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. TV: Remembering Jimmie Lunceford, The Master Teacher Of Swing: An Interview With Jazz Great Gerald WilsonW.E. A.L.L. B.E. TV: Remembering Jimmie Lunceford, The Master Teacher Of Swing: An Interview With Jazz Great Gerald Wilson

2010-11-24T16:04:00.000-08:00

Watch The Full Doc:

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. TV: Remembering Jimmie Lunceford, The Master Teacher Of Swing: An Interview With Jazz Great Gerald Wilson

http://blip.tv/file/4423316

***

Or Watch It In 3 Parts:

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. TV: Remembering Jimmie Lunceford, The Master Teacher Of Swing: An Interview With Jazz Great Gerald Wilson

Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioPv2G1rABI

***

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. TV: Remembering Jimmie Lunceford, The Master Teacher Of Swing: An Interview With Jazz Great Gerald Wilson

Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkaH2biwGp8

***

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. TV: Remembering Jimmie Lunceford, The Master Teacher Of Swing: An Interview With Jazz Great Gerald Wilson

Part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb9aDe6hK0w

***

"Remembering Jimmie Lunceford, The Master Teacher Of Swing: An Interview With Jazz Great & Lunceford Orchestra Alum Gerald Wilson"

Jazz great Gerald Wilson was born Sept. 4, 1918 in Shelby, Ms. Wilson went to Manassas School several years after Jimmie Lunceford left but finished up at Cass Tech High School in Detroit, Michigan. He joined the Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra at age 19 in 1939. He wrote the swing jazz standards “Hi Spook” & “Yard Dog Mazurka” for the Lunceford Orchestra. He was also featured with the Lunceford Orchestra in the popular era movie, “Blues In The Night” in 1941.

At 92, He still teaches at UCLA (at one point he taught arguably the largest jazz history class in the world) and won a Teacher Of The Year Award in 2006!!! Mr. Wilson still leads his own very successful big band which also features Lunceford Alum Snooky Young...He wrote the 50th Anniversary theme song for The Monterrey Jazz Festival and the 30th Anniversary theme song the Detroit Jazz Festival, the largest free jazz festival in the country...

Gerald Wilson is also a 2007 Jimmie Lunceford Legacy Awardee for his great contributions to music and music education...

For More Information On Jimmie Lunceford & The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Please Visit The Official Website:

http://www.jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com

A Sophisticated Lady Remembers The King Of Sonic Swing, Jimmie Lunceford

2010-11-22T16:05:00.000-08:00

Video: A Sophisticated Lady Remembers The King Of Sonic Swing, Jimmie Lunceford, A Conversation With Sis. Katheryn Perry Thomas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVNo6r4ki-w

***

Sis. Katheryn Perry Thomas

(1/19/1915-1/7/2008)

Sis. Katheryn Perry Thomas Taught English & Spanish In The Memphis City Schools For Almost 50 Years. A Proud Manassas High School Graduate ('32) & Classical Pianist, She Was The Last Living Memphian To Have Been Taught By Jimmie Lunceford @ Manassas High School.

This Interview Was Conducted Oct. 18, 2007.

Sis. Katheryn Perry Thomas was also a 2007 Jimmie Lunceford Legacy Awardee for excellence in music and music education.

Influential Memphis Educator And Last Living Memphian To Have Played With Jazz Great Jimmie Lunceford Dies...

http://jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com/2008/01/influential-memphis-educator-and-last.html

***

For More Information On Jimmie Lunceford & The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Please Visit The Official Website:

http://www.jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com

Jazz Great Jimmie Lunceford's "Forbidden Love Affair" With Daughter Of Dr. W.E.B. DuBois Gets Play On The New York Stage

2010-11-22T07:22:00.000-08:00

Erin Cherry as Yolande Du Bois and Morocco Omari as Jimmy Lunceford.

Defiant Daughter Emerges In Harlem Renaissance Era Drama

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/len-hollie/defiant-daughter-emerges-_b_780960.html

***

For More Information On Jimmie Lunceford & The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Please Visit The Official Website:

http://www.jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com

Jazz Historian & Radio Broadcaster Tom Morgan's Podcast On Jimmie Lunceford

2010-11-22T07:20:00.001-08:00

Jazz Roots with Tom Morgan 14

http://www.radiofreeamsterdam.com/jazz-roots-with-tom-morgan-14-2/

***

For More Information On Jimmie Lunceford & The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Please Visit The Official Website:

http://www.jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com

Check Out The First Episode Of 'Real Talk With Tha Artivist'!!! "And Rhythm Was His Business: Jimmie Lunceford: A Memphis Music Legend"

2010-05-25T13:14:00.000-07:00

"The Revolution Won't Be Televised But It Will Be Blogged, Podcasted & Broadcasted Online!!!"~

Tha Artivist

Real Talk With Tha Artivist Episode # 1~And Rhythm Was His Business...Jimmie Lunceford: A Memphis Music Legend

"Jimmie Lunceford Has The Best Of All Bands. Duke [Ellington] Is Great, [Count] Basie Is Remarkable, But Lunceford Tops Them Both."
-- Legendary Swing Band Leader Glenn Miller

Although in recent days he was finally awarded a long overdue brass note on the street (Beale Street) that he helped made famous, the tantalizing question still remains for many in the City of Good Abode: Who Was Jimmie Lunceford???

In less than 30 minutes R2C2H2 Tha Artivist plans to answer that exact question with analysis from experts and the people who knew him the best.

“W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News Presents…Real Talk With Tha Artivist” takes great pride and honor in honoring a true gentleman whose creative genius and legacy knows no boundaries...James “Jimmie” Melvin Lunceford was considered by many to be among jazz's greatest swing band leaders...His Orchestra was nicknamed 'The Harlem Express' because of their overwhelming popularity with the African American community of the 1930s & 40s...His fame also extended beyond that proud community for he was also recognized by the larger national and international audiences as well...

Leading a band composed of his former high school students from the future Jazz Mecca Manassas High School (where he became the Memphis City Schools' first high school band director , amazingly starting a world class band with little start up money or any support from the school system) and his college buddies from Fisk University, The Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra eventually became the house band for the legendary Cotton Club in storied Harlem, NY...The band became wildly famous because of their exceptional stage shows and the weekly live radio broadcasts from the club that were heard throughout the entire U.S....

Please join us in learning more about a man who owned and flew his own airplanes at a time when Blacks were not allowed to attend flight schools in the U.S....Learn more about a man who never forgot his teacher roots and would spend generous sums of money to start and support music education programs throughout the country to fight juvenile delinquency and dropout rates...Learn more about the former star athlete and ambitious teacher who became a movie star and a headliner & legend in his own time before dying under mysterious circumstances at the young age of 45 almost 62 years ago...Learn more about the efforts currently being done to restore this man's rightful place in the jazz pantheon and to ensure his legacy of perseverance, creativity, education and hope lives on in our youths and greater community for generations to come...

For More Information On Jimmie Lunceford & The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Please Visit
http://www.jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com

Please View All 3 Parts Of This Episode On W.E. A.L.L. B.E. TV By Perusing The Following Links:

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

******

What Are Some Other Ways I Can View ‘Real Talk With Tha Artivist’???

On TV:
Please catch the latest 'Real Talk With Tha Artivist' episode on Memphis Comcast Cable Channel 17 Mondays @ 8pm Central.

Online:
You can also view past and current episodes among other W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News Features at the official W.E. A.L.L. B.E. YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/weallbetv

******
W.E. A.L.L. B.E. TV~"Jimmie Lunceford: A Memphis Legend"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hv_Mva_Y6M&feature=channel_page

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio Special~2nd Annual Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Radio Program:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2008/10/12/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio Special~1st Annual Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Radio Program:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2007/10/21/tha-artivist-presentswe-all-be-radio

Buy Jimmie Lunceford Art & Gear To Support The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Movement...

http://jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com/2008/12/buy-jimmie-lunceford-art-gear-to.html

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. TV: Full & Updated Video Doc On Jimmie Lunceford!!!

2010-02-18T02:24:00.001-08:00

Video: Jimmie Lunceford Brass Note Presentation On Beale Street

2009-12-11T09:29:00.000-08:00

Brad Luttrell/The Commercial Appeal

James Thompson, president of the Manassas High School Alumni Association, accepts the Walk of Fame brass note for Jimmie Lunceford on Beale Street on Sunday. 7/19/2009

Tha Artivist Says: I Stumbled Across This Video While Doing My Purpose…I am glad that the efforts of many not named in this presentation, including yours truly, has lead to this moment of clarity this past summer, 7/19/2009, on Beale Street...I would have been there but I was en route driving back to Memphis from Knoxville and missed it by 30 minutes…The weird thing was it was hard to tell that a ceremony took place at all…When I talked to the folks and vendors in the vicinity they acted like I was from Mars and said nothing took place…However, one art vendor told me recognition for the late great Jimmie Lunceford was long overdue…Indeed…Also it is strange that some of the folks present were not active in helping me resolve the issue over two years ago when I sought them out…The Lord works and moves in mysterious ways and you can’t always tell what is in the hearts and minds of men…But there is so much be done…Jimmie Lunceford is truly a legacy of visionary activism not of stagnation or static…Rhythm not awards was his business! He was constantly on the move trying to innovate the music while at the same time trying to elevate his audience…The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Movement represents some of the best of that legacy as we are actively trying to get Jimmie Lunceford’s legacy off of life support and back in the arena of honor in the hearts, minds and everyday lives of the people as it deserves to be…Will you join in this ensemble for progressive change?

Visit:
http://www.jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com

See Also...

Factual Errors Present In Commercial Appeal Story Concerning Jimmie Lunceford's Brass Note Dedication
http://jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com/2009/08/factual-errors-present-in-commercial.html

Support The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Movement…Buy JLJF Products & Donate To Resurrect The Living Memory Of The True King Of Swing...
http://jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com/2009/12/support-jimmie-lunceford-jamboree.html

Support The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Movement…Buy JLJF Products & Donate To Resurrect The Living Memory Of The True King Of Swing...

2009-12-10T16:18:00.000-08:00

"Jimmie Lunceford has the best of all bands. Duke [Ellington] is great, [Count] Basie is remarkable, but Lunceford tops them both."
-- Legendary Swing Band Leader Glenn Miller

“The music still sounds good, and it still inspires me, you know. I just think that band had everything. It was just one helluva band.”
- Jazz Great Horace Silver
-
"Manassas had the first orchestra of any school in the city with Mr. Lunceford. He was a good disciplinarian, a good teacher, and the students just had a fit over him. Lunceford played sophisticated jazz. I used to practice with them."
-Beloved Memphis Educator & Manassas High Class of 1932 Kathryn Perry Thomas

To All Those Hep Cats & Swing Fans Out There…
The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Would Like You To Help Us Help You Pay Homage To The True King Of Swing & His Tremendous Legacy…

We @ The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival (JLJF) have been proactive these past 2 plus years in letting the Memphis community and beyond know about the achievements of the greatest jazz swing band orchestra leader that ever lived. Through award shows, symposiums, internet radio broadcasts/podcasts, wreath laying ceremonies, television programs, and even proclamations from U.S. Congressman Steve Cohen, The JLJF helped laid the foundation for the eventual and long overdue Jimmie Lunceford Brass Note On Beale Street…However, the struggle continues and the best is yet to come…

We need those out there interested in this great man, visionary and humanitarian’s legacy to help us secure the funds necessary to continue the work that was begun by Mr. Lunceford over 80 plus years ago…The JLJF needs funds and sponsorships to carry out events and programs dedicated to introducing new fans to the genius of Lunceford as well as giving diehard fans another reason to promote the timeless quality of the Luncefordean Sound!

Please Take Advantage Of The Following Opportunities To Show Solidarity:

• For More Information About The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Please Visit The Official Website:
http://www.jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com

• Buy The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Merchandise:
http://jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com/2008/12/buy-jimmie-lunceford-art-gear-to.html

• Donate To The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Via PayPal: Anything At All Is Better Than Nothing At All!

• If Snail Mail Is Your Thing Then Please Send Your Donations (monies, checks or money orders) to the following address:
Ronald Herd II/R2C2H2 Tha Artivist
P.O. Box 752062
Memphis,TN 38175

Thanks in advance and keep the music pulsating because rhythm is our business!
Jazznocracily yours,

Tha Artivist M.B.A.
Founder Of The JLJF
http://www.jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com

Able & Ready: A Conversion With Mr. Emerson Able, Jr., A Memphis Music Icon

2009-12-09T00:56:00.001-08:00

Legendary Memphis Musician, Educator And 2007 Jimmy Lunceford Jamboree Festival Legacy Award Honoree Bro. Emerson Able And R2C2H2 Tha Artivist

Abel & Ready: A Conversion With Mr. Emerson Able, Jr., A Memphis Music Icon
View
Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNVmVE6arF0

Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OBHWnjnkmM

Part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1ilzWnHu80

Who Is Emerson Able, Jr.?
Just want to provide a history note of legendary Memphis music educator and practitioner Mr. Emerson Able, 2007 Jimmie Lunceford Legacy™ Awardee. He comes from a family of entertainers: his grandmother was a piano player and great friend of blues great Alberta Hunter and one of his uncles was a tap dancer in the groundbreaking Hallelujah! The first talkie Hollywood movie with an all Black cast filmed in Memphis...

He was the high school band instructor of Isaac Hayes and eventually kicked him out of the band due to him not taking it seriously. When Isaac recorded at Staxx, he hired Mr. Able to compose his music along with playing tenor saxophone in his band. Mr. Able is also one of the greatest Band instructors in Manassas’ and Memphis City Schools’ history, a position pioneered and started by Mr. Jimmie Lunceford, Memphis City Schools’ first high school band instructor.

As a student at Manassas High School, Mr. Able used to perform in the Manassas Rhythm Bombers Band…On occasion the band received encouragement and instruction from the great Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra when they visited Memphis.

This is just a small contribution that Mr. Able has given to music be it Jazz, Blues, etc. He has thousands and thousands of legacies who have learned from him or been impacted.

I heard him play at the Jimmie Lunceford Wreath Laying Ceremony in June and what a sound he has!

Please take the time to listen. We must learn our history in order to grow from it. It doesn't make any sense to start from scratch when you can learn from others. To Learn More About Mr. Emerson Able and Jimmie Lunceford please visit http://www.jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com

Rhythm As Well As History Is Our Business: Tha Artivist Resurrects Jimmie Lunceford For A Record Audience Of 800!

2009-12-06T07:44:00.000-08:00

*For Immediate Release*Special To W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival

A Match Made For Music Heaven: Jervette Ward Ellis as Blues Great Ma Rainey II & R2C2H2 Tha Artivist as Jazz Swing Great Jimmie Lunceford

Contact:
Jimmie.lunceford.jam@gmail.com

R2C2H2 Tha Artivist, the founder of the Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival and an integral part of the Jimmie Lunceford Renaissance currently taken root in the Memphis, TN, area, immersed himself into the role of a swinging lifetime….The versatile Artivist brought Jimmie Lunceford back to life for several generations of fans as well as for the uninitiated and unaware at the 4th Annual Elmwood Cemetery Costume Twilight Tour…According to Elmwood Cemetery, more than 800 people attended the 4th Annual Costume Twilight Tour which made it the largest turnout ever…The real Jimmie Lunceford, arguably jazz’s greatest swing band leader, has been buried at Elmwood Cemetery for 62 years after dying under mysterious circumstances while signing autographs at a record shop before a concert engagement on July 12, 1947, in Seaside, Oregon…

R2C2H2 Tha Artivst assisted by Memphis music great Emerson Able and small band of dedicated others , has been involved in an almost Herculean effort the last two years to get Memphis’ first true high school music band director better recognized in ‘the city of good abode’ where he started music education in the Memphis public city schools back in the 1920s at Manassas High School…This school by coincidence has been featured heavily in jazz and American music history and lore, producing a plethora of all time great musicians as diverse as Isaac Hayes, Booker Little, George Coleman, Hank Crawford and Vera Little…

Aided with trumpet, a snappy hep cat suit, a winning smile, limitless enthusiasm and encyclopedic knowledge of his subject, Tha Artivist was able to entertain a steady and large appreciative audience for three consecutive hours…Many audience commented on how exceptional Tha Artivist captured the essence of the man as well as the spirit of the times…This was Tha Artivist first time doing this popular tour and this was Jimmie Lunceford first included on the tour which included life stories of several other noted and famous Memphians buried in the historic and aesthetically acclaimed cemetery founded in 1852…

Visit Elmwood Cemetery Online:
http://www.elmwoodcemetery.org

***

Learn More About Jimmie Lunceford & The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival...

Visit The Official Site:
http://www.jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com

Support The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival…Find Out How:
http://jimmieluncefordjam.blogspot.com/2008/12/buy-jimmie-lunceford-art-gear-to.html

Donate To The Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Via PayPal: Anything At All Is Better Than Nothing At All!