The 9th Annual Yazzy Youth Celebrating Jazz Concert | April 15th, 2011

The culminating concert will conclude a
week-long series of workshops in which Jordan will provide students with
professional skill development in the areas of voice, dance, and stage
presence. Stephanie Jordan will also introduce students to Jazz Pilates;
a technique developed by Jordan which combines Ballet, African and
Modern dance with Mat Pilates and Yoga movements performed to jazz
music.

This year’s theme is “Yazzy Salutes Soul Train & Don
Cornelius”. In addition to Stephanie Jordan, the other guest artist is
Tom Browne, jazz trumpeter from Garner, North Carolina. Shreveport’s own
Dorsey Summerfield Jr. serves as our Yazzy Project Coordinator.

Stephanie
Jordan, whom critics have placed in the company of Nancy Wilson and
Diana Krall, began to receive national recognition following her
stunning performance during the nationally televised Higher Ground
Hurricane Relief Benefit Concert at New York’s Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Bill Milkowski of JazzTimes Magazine writes “Stephanie Jordan, a
standout here, was the real discovery of the evening. Her haunting
rendition of (Here’s to Life) this bittersweet ode associated with
Shirley Horn was delivered with uncanny poise and a depth of understated
soul that mesmerized the crowd and registered to the back rows. Singing
with a clarity of diction that recalled Nat “King” Cole . . .”

Jordan’s
recent concert with the Chicago Jazz Ensemble at the Harris Theater led
Chicago Tribune’s leading art critic Howard Reich to proclaim, “The
woman can sing and indisputably knows how to reach out across the
footlights . . . Jordan showed ample voice, bringing heft to music of
the Gershwins and Cole Porter without pushing volume levels. Clearly she
values plush sound and knows how to produce it.”

Selected for
the cover of the World’s Who’s Who in Jazz; “SHOWBIZ, PIONEERS, BEST
SINGERS, ENTERTAINERS AND MUSICIANS FROM 1606 TO THE PRESENT, ” the
London Monthly Herald declares, “Ms. Stephanie Jordan … reminds me of
the flashy dashy days of Josephine Baker at the Lido in Paris, the
author referred to her as “The classy lady of modern Jazz!”

Jordan
was recently inducted into New Orleans Magazine’s Jazz All-Stars. She
is the fifth performer to emerge from a family of New Orleans bred
musicians. As the daughter of saxophonist Sir Edward “Kidd” Jordan,
Stephanie’s musical roots run deep; her siblings include flutist Kent,
trumpeter Marlon, and classical violinist Rachel Jordan.

Executive
director Gloria C. Gipson says that “the Yazzy Youth Celebrating Jazz
concert is designed to showcase local talented youth collaborating with
renowned professional artists as we celebrate the month of April as jazz
appreciation month.” She adds, “Let us applaud Yazzy’s teachers,
musicians, dancers, singers, and artists, as they guide us through a
segment of the history of Soul Train through the wonderful world of the
arts as we assemble the Soul Train Scramble Board, present Afro-sheen
commercials, and showcase some of the many artists that performed on
Soul Train along with the Soul Train dance line. Come see Yazzy’s best
young artists in the hippest trip in Shreveport! We wish you love,
peace, and soul!”

“I welcome the opportunity to share the
benefits of my experience in the music industry with the youths in the
program. I can only hope that I am able to convey the insight I have
gained over the years from the likes of Shirley Horn and others to the
Yazzy Youth participants. Reaching back seams so natural.” adds Jordan.

Adult
tickets are $14.00; Seniors 62+/ Military (with ID) tickets are $12.00;
Children/ Youth (18 and under) tickets are $8.00. Group rates are
available for groups of 20 or more at $10.00 each. Tickets are available
for purchase at The Strand Theatre, 619 Louisiana Ave. Additional fees
will apply if purchasing tickets at The Strand. Tickets may also be
purchased at Theatre of the Performing Arts office at 4005 Lakeshore
Drive. For ticket information contact the Strand Theatre’s box office at
318-226-8555 or Theatre of the Performing Arts office at 318-525-0740
or 318-621-8914.