Aug 12, 2025 10:24 AM
Vocalist Sheila Jordan Dies at 96
Sheila Jordan, a vocalist who was celebrated for her scatting and lyric-improvising abilities, died Aug. 11 at her home…
Kaya Baird, 9, studies the art of improvisation with jazz pianist Jeremy Siskind during the 2019 Yamaha Music School Music Camp.
(Photo: Courtesy Yamaha Corporation of America)Students ages 8 to 15 had the opportunity to meet and learn from acclaimed musicians—including pianist Jeremy Siskind and Grammy-winning drummer M.B. Gordy—during a recent music camp held at the headquarters of Yamaha Corporation of America in Buena Park, California.
The five-day summer camp in July hosted 50 youngsters who attend Yamaha Music Schools throughout North America. The students took lessons, attended workshops, performed together, made new friends and learned firsthand about the music industry. Participants also performed daily concerts for employees and guests.
On the final day of the camp, nine students performed on the front steps and lawn of the Yamaha campus. The concert, which drew more than 100 audience members, featured the kids’ original compositions. Several Yamaha employees performed with the students, including clarinetist Rory Mazela, marketing specialist for wind instruments, and drummer Joel Tetzlaff, marketing development specialist for drums.
Following the concert, campers visited the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, where they learned about the history of American music through artifacts and interactive exhibits.
“Creating new music-makers and being close to our customers is very important to Yamaha, demonstrated by the fact that we opened our doors to children and their families for four days,” said Mike Morrell, manager for music education. “We were so energized by the way the children and parents responded. The friendships and experiences that were developed during the camp will be deeply valued for years to come, by both Yamaha and the camp attendees.”
Established in 1954, Yamaha Music Education programs enhance the offerings of music schools and music instrument dealers in 40 countries worldwide. In the United States, more than 60 locations are authorized to offer Yamaha Music School programs. To date, more than six million students from around the world have graduated from the program. DB
Jordan was a dyed-in-the-wool bebopper whose formative musical experiences were with Charlie Parker.
Aug 12, 2025 10:24 AM
Sheila Jordan, a vocalist who was celebrated for her scatting and lyric-improvising abilities, died Aug. 11 at her home…
“I don’t guess I’m going to excite you; I know I’m going to excite you,” Palmieri said in an August 1994 DownBeat feature.
Aug 12, 2025 10:33 AM
Famed Latin jazz composer, bandleader and pianist Eddie Palmieri passed away in his New Jersey home on Aug. 6. He was…
“What I got from Percy was the dignity of playing the bass,” Buster Williams said of Percy Heath.
Aug 26, 2025 1:53 PM
Buster Williams, who at the age of 83 has been on the scene for 65 years, had never done a Blindfold Test. The first…
Don and Maureen Sickler serve as the keepers of engineer Rudy Van Gelder’s flame at Van Gelder Studio, perhaps the most famous recording studio in jazz history.
Sep 3, 2025 12:02 PM
On the last Sunday of 2024, in the control room of Van Gelder Studio, Don and Maureen Sickler, co-owners since Rudy Van…
The Free Slave, Cosmos Nucleus and Sunset To Dawn: three classic Muse albums being reissued this fall by Timer Traveler Recordings.
Aug 26, 2025 1:32 PM
Record producer and “Jazz Detective” Zev Feldman has launched his next endeavor, the archival label Time Traveler…
