Music

Joseph W. Jennings
Director, Spelman College Jazz Ensemble
Coordinator Jazz Studies Track

Bachelor of Music, Southern University
Masters of Arts in Music Education, University of Illinois

As Coordinator of the Jazz Studies Track at Spelman College, Joe Jennings successfully launched the largest and most acclaimed all-female college jazz band in the United States. Mr. Jennings' teaching  experience spans thirty years: Clark College, Mississippi Valley State College, Morehouse and Spelman College. His performing experience includes tours and performances with Johnny Taylor, Duke Pearson, Clifford Jordan, Richard Abrams, Freddie Waits, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Ruben Phillips and Nancy Wilson.

Mr Jennings has been director of music at the Atlanta Center for Black Art, and artist-in residence at the Neighborhood Arts Center, also in Atlanta. He was the founder and director of the Neighborhood Arts Ensemble (a 22-piece big Band in Atlanta), leader of " The Joe Jennings Saxtet,"  founder and Director of the Metropolitan Atlanta Youth Ensemble--a jazz workshop for metropolitan youth and is the co-founder and director of the recording group, Life Force. Life Force was featured at the "North Sea Jazz Festival", in 1991. Joe directed the Atlanta All Stars--the cultural ambassador music group to the 1994 Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway. Mr. Jennings has written many compositions and arrangements and performed on and produced several recordings. His most recent release is Life Force Speaks on the Nu-Mu label.

Joe has just completed his tenth (12th) national tour with the Spelman College Jazz Ensemble, which included performances at the Kennedy Center, NJPAC (The New Jersey Performing Arts Center),  the Schomburg center for Social Research in New York City and the annual African-American Music Awards ceremony sponsored by the Northern New Jersey chapter of the National Alumnae Association of Spelman College.

Academy

* 2001 Revived The Neighborhood Arts Ensemble (Big Band)

* Currently teaching: Jazz History, Jazz Arranging and Composition, Clarinet, Saxophone, Jazz Improvisation I thru IV and Jazz History and Analysis:

* Coordinator of Jazz Studies Track which includes; Jazz History and Analysis, Jazz Composition and Arranging, Jazz Theory and Jazz Improvisation I thru IV.

* Founder and Director of the Spelman Jazz Ensemble (1983).

* Founder, Kenyetta Music, Inc., 1993 (Spelman College Recording Label).

* 1978-81 Music Faculty Morehouse College: Jazz History, General Music, Clarinet, Saxophone.

* 1976-1978 Artist In Residence at The Neighborhood Arts Center, Atlanta, Ga.

* 1976-1997 Founder and Director of The Neighborhood Arts Ensemble.

* 1970-1976 Music Faculty Clark College: Jazz Theory, Woodwind Lit., Clarinet, Saxophone. 

Courses Developed

* Clark College: Jazz Improvisation, Woodwind Lit., Jazz Ensemble.

* Morehouse College: Jazz History, Jazz Improvisation.

* Spelman College: Jazz History, Jazz History and Analysis, Jazz Composition and Arranging, Jazz Theory, Jazz Improvisation I - IV, and Jazz Ensemble. 

Performances Abroad

* Fort de France Martinique: Cultural Festival 1979

* Hamilton, Bermuda : Hats A Tribute to Harriet Tubman, 1983. Composed and      performed music, 2 week run.

* Den Hague Netherlands ; North Sea Jazz Festival... performed original music with Life Force, 1992.

* Lillehammer, Norway : performed six(6) concerts of original music 1994 Winter Olympics.

Compositions

* Pearl Cleage's Puppet Play (Just Us Theater Co,)

* Buddy Bolden's Blues (Jomandi Theater Co.)

* Mari Evan's Eyes ( Spelman Morehouse Players)

* Zorba and Lorraine (Spelman Morehouse Players)

* Many compositions recorded and performed by Life Force (ex. provided upon request)

* Arranged 99% of music performed by the Spelman Jazz Ensemble 1983-2001

* Sound Track for Hat's a Tribute to Harriet Tubman.

* Theme for Brown Silk, Magenta Sunset (Clark Players, 1986)

*  Music for Aisha ( Teleplay by Tony Riddle, 1987)

* The Lion and The Jewel  (Spelman Players, 1986)

* Johnnas (Proposition Theater Co., 1979)

Video Productions

* Southern Encounters ( A one hour special: Life Force featuring Cecil Bridge water) Funded by the Fulton County Arts Council.

* Atlanta Creative Music Association documentation of Atlanta Jazz musicians 1988 Productions

* Salsa Meets Jazz (NBAF) 1990

* Live At Lunch Series (NBAF) 1988-1994

* Piano Series (NBAF) 1998

* Midnight Jam (NBAF) 1990-1994

*The Ellington Strayhorn Hour ( a series of (14) concerts) for the 1996 Olympic Summer Games, Atlanta University Center, July 1996.

* Producer/Director, NBAF Youth Jazz Workshop (1998).

* NBAF Southeastern Jazz Festival. 1998

* Ist Wednesday  Jazzm series, Spelman College 1998-2001

* Life Force Young Audience programs (1984-2001)

 

Recordings

* As Long AS I'm Singing. (Freddie Cole, 1974)

* 8Hats: A Tribute top Harriet Tubman. (Jennings, 1982 )

* Fearless Warriors. (Life Force, 1982)

* Southern Encounters. (Cecil Bridgewaters/Life Force,1983)

* Think of One. (Ojeda Penn)

* Tula Baba. (Life Force,1993)

* The Spelman College Jazz Ensemble, Elegance With Soul ,Reverence and  Spelman College Jazz Ensemble, 1993, 1995 ,1997and 200120

* Life Force Speaks,  Released April 2000.

Panels and Boards

* Music Panel, Fulton County Arts Council 1984-88

* Music Consultant, National Black Arts Festival, 1988-94

* Board of Advisors, Southern Arts Federation Jazz Program

* Board member, Mayor's Advisory to the Arts, Atlanta 1991

* Jazz Grants Committee, Raleigh, N.C. 1991

* Music Advisory Committee for the Cultural Olympiad, Atlanta, Olympic Games 1996

* Music Curator, National Black Arts Festival, 1998

* Grants Panel, Atlanta Bureau of Cultural Affairs, March 2000

* Southern Arts Federation Panel for Jazz South ( Radio Program) 2001

* Board member, Quantum Productions

* Composition Grants Panel, Raleigh, NC . 1991

Awards

* Bronze Jubilee Music Award 1979 (WETV)

* International Association of Jazz  Educators, Outstanding Service Award 1987

* Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honor Society, 1989

* Presidents Outstanding Service Award (Spelman College 1997)

* Mayors Fellowship for the Arts 1998

* Key to the City of Birmingham, Ala., 1996

* African American Classical Music Award, Newark, NJ (Northern NJ Spelman Alum) 2000.                                                             

*  WRFG Music Award for contributions to Jazz in Atlanta  2001

 Recent Major Performances 

 2001       Featured Artist at Spivey Hall Atlanta Jazz Showcase Atlanta, GA.

 2001        Atlanta Jazz Festival  Life Force

1984- 98 Atlanta Jazz Festival- Life Force

1988-98  National Black Arts Festival- Life Force

1988        Big Band with Nancy Wilson

1989-99 Young Audiences, Inc.- Life Force

1991        Life Force with Pier Beck

1992         North Sea Jazz Festival- Life Force

1992         Leader of Atlanta-N.Y. Coalition with (Fred Hopkins & Donald Smith)

1993         City Stages and Birmingham Black Heritage Festival.

1994         Lillehammer, Norway, Winter Games. Leader, Atlanta All Stars.

1994-95   Albany Festival- Life Force Albany Ga.

1995-97   University Of The South- Life Force, Eagle Mount, Tenn.

1996        Atlanta Jazz Festival-Cecil Bridgewater, Joe Jennings Big Band

1997-99  "Harmon How To Listen", Joe Jennings  Concert/Lecture series for Harmon International Speaker Co.

1995-01  Guest Artist  for Birmingham Youth Jazz Summer Workshops.

1999-00  Guest artist  at Paine College. UNCF concert.

1999       Savannah Jazz Festival- Life Force.

2000       Saxophone-Percussion Duet Spelman College , March 1, 2000

2000       Atlanta Jazz Festival (Hartsfield Airport Atrium, May 25)

2001       Atlanta  Jazz Festival Piedmont Park  May 26

2001       Just Completed 10th year of performing at the Schomburg in Harlem.