Salt Lake Symphony Goes Swing!
Contact: Charlotte Bell, charlottebell@earthlink.net or 801-355-2617
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
The Salt Lake Symphony welcomes The Jerry Floor Quartet for a collaborative concert on Saturday, May 22nd at 7:30 pm at Libby Gardner Concert Hall on President’s Circle on the University of Utah campus. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and students. Tickets will be available at the door or in advance by calling 801-531-7501. For more information visit www.saltlakesymphony.org.
Led by music director/conductor Robert Baldwin, the orchestra will perform orchestral jazz works including music from Leonard Bernstein’s “On the Town,” George Gershwin’s “Cuban Overture” and “Preludes,” and Richard Rodgers’ “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue.” The orchestra will collaborate with the Jerry Floor Quartet on Tommy Newsom’s arrangements of classic songs such as “You Gotta,” “Memories of You,” and “I Thought About You” and more. Don’t miss this evening of swing stylings guaranteed to get your toes tapping.
Biographical Information
Jerry Floor Quartet: Jerry Floor, Clarinet; Craig Larson, Piano; Matt Larson, Bass; Jay Lawrence, Drums.
Son of Salt Lake businessman, jazz musician, and band leader, Bill Floor, Jerry began playing professionally when he was fourteen years old. Proficient on clarinet, saxophone, flute and piccolo, he joined the musicians union at eighteen and quickly became a working show musician playing the many ice shows, circuses and was a staff musician at the Valley Music Hall.
Jerry has performed behind hundreds of the greatest show and jazz musicians in the world. (See below) In addition, he fronts many of his own ensembles to include The Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra, an eighteen piece big band that he founded in 1974, clarinetist in The Great Basin Street Band, an international touring Dixieland band, and several other combinations including The Jerry Floor Quartet.
In 2000, he received “The Voice of Jazz” award presented to him by KUER for outstanding work in the field of jazz. In 2008, Governor Jon Huntsman, awarded him the "Governor's Mansion Artist Award" for his work in music performance, music education, and the Salt Lake City International Jazz Festival. He is also a founder of Jazz Arts of the MountainWest, a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the performance of jazz and to music education.
Jerry has performed often with the Utah Symphony when called upon, to play the principal saxophone chair. As the clarinetist with The Great Basin Street Band, he has performed at numerous jazz festivals in the United States and Europe. With his big band he has backed many jazz greats to include Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Clark Terry, Nancy Wilson, Phil Woods, Louie Bellson, Eddie Daniels, Jack Jones, Bill Watrous and countless others.
Among the numerous entertainers Jerry has performed with are: Elvis Presley, Johnny Mathis, Natalie Cole, Rich Little, Doc Severinsen, Maureen McGovern, Tom Jones, Bob Hope, and possibly a hundred more.
Music Education
While most of his emphasis in music education is about America’s music—jazz, Jerry’s belief is that music education starts with the parents and not necessarily the children. It is difficult to attract young people to study music if the parents are not in total support and are not of the belief that children who study music improve in other life challenges. As a result, his focus is that all performance should be carried out with educating all publics about music and particularly the energy of live music.
At this writing, Jerry is actively working with the Gershwin family to bring a major educational endeavor to Salt Lake City and Utah. Jerry and world renown composer/arranger, Patrick Williams, are pursuing THE GERSHWIN ACADEMY to be headquartered in Salt Lake City.
The Salt Lake City International Jazz Festival
In 2001, Jerry cofounded The Salt Lake City International Jazz Festival with Salt Lake City Mayor, Rocky Anderson. The Festival is entering its eighth year in 2008 and has become THE event in Salt Lake City. Audiences exceed 50,000 and the event invites renowned jazz artists from all over the world. He is the Festival Director and his Company, Four Floors Productions, directs the event for Jazz Arts of the MountainWest.
Jerry’s past accomplishments include cofounder of the Park City Jazz Festival as well. The Festivals, under Jerry’s guidance always include educational clinics designed to encourage our youth to experience music.
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