Congratulations goes out to Clark Atlanta University's very own Dr. James H. Patterson. He will be honored during this year's Jazz Education Network (JEN) Conference, January 8-11 at Hyatt Atlanta Downtown.
Dr. Patterson will be receiving the Donald Meade Legacy Jazz Griot Award for his outstanding accomplishments in the jazz music industry as a teacher, composer, arranger, and music union advocate. A 1957 graduate of Clark College — now Clark Atlanta University — Dr. Patterson joined his alma mater as a professor in 1968 and founded The Clark Atlanta Jazz Orchestra which he has led for over fifty years. The orchestra was formally added to the curriculum in 1976 to preserve and promote "African diaspora history/culture" — jazz in its purest state. Under Dr. Patterson, the group has performed nationally and internationally with some of the biggest names in jazz — Dizzy Gillespie, Cab Calloway, James Moody, and Mary Lou Williams, to name a few. They've performed in international jazz festivals in Switzerland and The Netherlands.
As previously mentioned, the JEN Conference is the largest of its kind and brings together over 4,000 jazz educators, students, and jazz enthusiasts from all over the world to share knowledge, foster collaboration, and celebrate the rich tradition of jazz education and performance.
Other JEN honorees include David Sánchez (LeJENds of Latin Jazz "Keeping the Flame Alive" Award); Fred Irby III (LeJENds of Jazz Education Award); Lisa Linde (John LaPorta Jazz Educator of the Year); Carl Allen (Ellis Marsalis, Jr. Jazz Educator of the Year); and Robert Klevan (2025 Presidents Service Awards)
CLICK HERE for more JEN information and to register.