The 2020 Pensacola JazzFest is CANCELED. New headliners will be announced in early 2021 for a May 2021 festival.
National headliners
Saxophonist Larry Panella
Larry Panella is a jazz saxophonist and educator at the University of Southern Mississippi where he serves as the director of Jazz Studies. He has performed with numerous artists and entertainers including the Phil Collins Big Band, the Woody Herman Orchestra and Natalie Cole. His recordings include his newly released CD “Larry Panella: The Gestures Project,” and “Larry Panella: Under the Influence,” as well as releases with the Phil Collins Big Band, the Collection Jazz Orchestra, the Ashley Alexander Big Band, John Mahoney Big Band and Chris Cortez.
Jazz pianist Tony Viviano
Pianist and composer Tony Viviano has performed in many venues throughout Michigan as well as around the world. Encompassing the classic styles of jazz piano artistry, he is a mainstay in the Michigan jazz piano scene. An opener for the John Pizzarelli Trio, Chic Corea, Herbie Mann and Auturo Sandoval, Viviano’s compositional skills can be heard on his albums “Lydianosis” and “My Pal Al” – containing all original works encompassing many styles of jazz, uniquely intermixed with classical motifs along with diverse melodies rooted in modern acoustic jazz. Borrowing from the likes of Joe Zawinul, Chic Corea and Bud Powell, his music is harmonically refreshing and complex.
Saxophonist Doug Horn
Doug Horn plays alto, tenor and soprano sax and flute. Well-versed in the musical styles of bebop, swing, Latin, blues and ballads, Horn’s style reflects influences from such jazz giants as Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderley, Phil Woods, Dexter Gordon and Stan Getz. Among the notable musicians he has performed with are Phil Woods, Jimmy Forest, Clare Fisher, Claude Black, Eddie Russ, Clark Terry, Marcus Belgrave, Jack Mcduff, Bill Watrous, Don Menza and Dizzy Gillespie.
Horn has been performing for 54 years in Michigan and around various parts of the world. He is retired from 26 years in Ann Arbor Schools as a band director.
Local/regional headliners
Trumpeter Jonathan Martin
Jonathan Martin has been a member of the United States Air Force “Band of the West,” in addition to the Quad Cities, Owensboro, Lexington and Pensacola Symphony Orchestras. He has performed in almost every genre of music, and has performed throughout the United States and Europe with a diverse array of artists including: Dizzy Gillespie, Bob Mintzer, Tom Scott, Frank Sinatra Jr., Aretha Franklin, Linda Ronstadt, Dionne Warwick, The Temptations, The Four Tops and many more. As a jazz-ensemble director, Martin has worked with Bobby Shew, Randy Brecker, Bob Berg, Wayne Bergeron, Andy Martin, Bob Sheppard and Conrad Herwig. Martin has one jazz recording as a leader entitled “Standard Jazz.”
Jack Zoesch Quartet
Originally from Rochester, N.Y., Zoesch started piano at a young age. He has performed with such musicians as Wynton Marsallis, Ted Poor, Ike Sturm, John Fedchock, and Michael League. Although classically trained, early in high school, he discovered jazz and never looked back. The son of a music teacher, he has enjoyed playing and performing all kinds of music his entire life. After attending Wake Forest University, he moved to Washington DC, where he performed at a variety of venues.
Glenn Parker Band
Regarded as one of the greatest rhythm and blues bands on the Gulf Coast, the Glenn Parker Band is truly a pleasure to experience. Having been a Gulf Coast treasure for many year, their sound is smooth and sophisticated. Playing jazz, blues, classic R&B and soft rock, the band always leaves audiences wanting more. Glenn Parker, a native Floridian, has been a headliner in Las Vegas and many venues throughout the Southeast. It is rare to find this creative combination in a quintet.
Jazz pianist Alex Nollan
Nobius (Network of Brothers in United Sound)
Isabelle Schrack Band
The Isabelle Schrack Band features Isabelle Schrack on keys and vocals, Max Levesque on bass, Jensen Cadenhead on drums, Noemi Ruiz on trumpet, and Duncan Miller on sax. The band met at the University of West Florida. They enjoy playing jazz, pop and fusion genres. The band has played Pensacola’s Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival, Rosemary Beach Uncorked, the 30A Concert Series, Northwest Fest, Panama City’s Pirate Fest, MOJO in Mobile, Gulf Power, and Jazz Pensacola.
La’Roy Bodiford Quartet
Former Marine, La’Roy Bodiford fell in love with jazz music as a young child. He found himself staying up way past his bedtime listening to a local radio station on a tape player radio his sister gave him. Bodiford’s love of music became a dream, a dream he began chasing when he joined the 6th-grade band of Luverne Elementary in Luverne, Ala. From 6th grade until he graduated high school, Bodiford frequently auditioned and made All-State Band and All-State Jazz Band. After high school, he spent four years serving our country as a member of United States Marine Corps. Upon completing his time with the Marines, Bodiford’s dream became his passion and career. He has toured with American Idol winner Ruben Studdard and shared the stage with other jazz artists such as Jeff Lorber, Rick Braun, Brian Culbertson, and many more. From a love to a dream then to a passion, many things have changed since Bodiford was a child listening to the radio, but his relationship with music has remained the same.
Fais Do-Do
A fais do-do is a Cajun dance party, originating before WWII, and with its emblematic Louisianan music, the band Fais Do-Do is an experience worth savoring. The band’s deep, Acadian rhythms feather onto the traditional music of an ancient era, bringing the sounds of a moss-covered world to vivid life. Watch the arcing energy and enjoy the danceable rhythms that have serenaded the shuffling dance steps of a rich and colorful American culture.
Fais Do-Do band members: Chris Nida, bass/vocal; Doug Dickerson, guitar/vocal; Teddy Lehmann, washboard/vocal; John Link, keys/sax/vocal; Fred Domulot, drums/vocal.
