Gold Coast Jazz Society - 1 degree of seperation for 2011 Grammy Awards!

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Florida had at least six representatives at the 2011 Grammy Awards playing during the ceremonies.  Josh Smith, now residing in  California, played with Mick Jagger as part of the Raphael Saadiq Band and five high school students participated in the jazz band.

The five South Florida students selected for the 2011 Grammy Jazz Ensembles:
Patrick Bartley, 18, of Pompano Beach, a senior at Dillard High School Center for the Arts, alto saxophone.
William Bridges, 17, of Lauderhill, a senior at North Broward Preparatory School, alto saxophone.
David Leon, 17, of Miami, a junior at New World School of the Arts in Miami, baritone saxophone.
Antonio Madruga, 17, of Pembroke Pines, a junior New World School of the Arts in Miami, piano.
Christian Marrero, 17, of Boynton Beach, a junior at Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, trumpet.

Of these students, Patrick and Christian have participated in the First Friday Jazz Jams that Gold Coast Jazz Society hosts on a monthly basis at Art Serve in Ft. Lauderdale.  Patrick, Christian and Will have all been recipients of Gold Coast's scholarship program.

Smith, who was raised in South Florida and the former leader of the Josh Smith & The Rhino Cats, whose last blues album "Deep Roots", is going to be re-released worldwide on Crosscut Records in Europe and Ruf records in the states, recently was on Dick Clark's New Years Rockin' Eve playing with Jennifer Hudson.

It is interesting to note that Jimmy Thackery was wrapping up his set at the Riverwalk Blues & Music Festival in Ft. Lauderdale at the same time that Smith was on stage at the Grammy Awards. Thackery said this of Smith when Josh was fourteen,“Josh is three heartbreaks away from being a true blues guitar genius.”  The Riverwalk Blues & Music Festival now serves as tribute to Don Cohen, the founder of Ft. Lauderdale's Musician's Exchange where Josh played often before the age of 15, who was also Josh's first manager.

Congratz to all!

Posted by: Jazz & Blues Florida
http://www.jazzbluesflorida.com/
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