Berklee Scholarship Jazz Quintet To Perform Their Original Compositions

Tenor saxophonist Walter Smith '02 leads the Quintet and makes his second Blue Note appearance, as do drummer Kendrick Scott and bassist Mark Kelley. Following their Blue Note engagement, the group performs from May 19 -25 at the 19th Annual Floating Jazz Festival on the QE2 Trans-Atlantic cruise from New York to Southampton. The line-up includes Tommy Flanagan, Annie Ross, Houston Person and Etta Jones, and Berklee Executive Vice President and world-renowned vibraphonist Gary Burton, who will also make guest appearances on the cruise with the student quintet.

The Berklee Scholarship Jazz Quintet includes leader Walter Smith '02 (tenor sax), Milton Fletcher '03 (piano), Mark Kelley '02 (bass), Kendrick Scott '02 (drums), and Warren Wolf '01 (vibraphone).

Jazz drummer Ron Savage, Berklee Ensemble Department Chair, is the group's director. A Berklee alumnus, Savage began teaching at the college in 1993 as Assistant Professor in the Ear Training Department. In 1997 he was appointed Assistant Chair of Berklee's Percussion Department. He was named Ensemble Department Chair in the Fall of 2000.

Besides leading his own trio, Ron's eclectic playing experiences include a performance with Joe Zawinul and the Czech State Philharmonic Orchestra, the Jazz Composers Alliance Orchestra, as well as the Christian McBride Quartet, the Art Farmer Quartet featuring Geoff Keezer, the Cyrus Chestnut Trio, Donald Harrison, Christopher Hollyday, Nnenna Freelon, James Williams, Mark Whitfield, Albert King, the Cecilia Smith Quartet with Cecil Bridgewater and Gary Bartz, and the Mulgew Miller Trio.

The Berklee Scholarship Jazz Quintet includes:

Milton Fletcher '03 (Seaside, CA) piano
Milton Fletcher entered Berklee last fall after receiving the full-tuition James L. Lyons Scholarship to Berklee, named in honor of the Monterey Jazz Festival's late founder. The youngest member of the group at 18, Milton began his music studies at age four. By the time he was 10 years old, Milton was participating in the Monterey Jazz Festival's internationally respected education programs. He held the piano chair in the Monterey Jazz Festival High School All Star band for five years, performing in Japan each summer. Milton's four years in the Monterey County Honor Band took him to performances at major jazz festivals in Switzerland, Italy, France and pain. While at Monterey High School, he was a member of the jazz, marching, and concert bands, as well as the National Honor Society. Milton was selected as pianist for both the 1999 and 2000 California All-State Honor Jazz Ensembles, and was one of only 12 students in the nation chosen for last summer's Vail Jazz Workshop. Since coming to Berklee, Milton has performed in concert with Terri Lyne Carrington and Lewis Nash, and has become a first-call Berklee studio player.

Mark Kelley '02 (Houston, TX), bass
Mark Kelley played at the Blue Note in 1999 with Kendrick Oliver and the New Life Jazz Orchestra, which has performed at Boston dates with special guests Nicholas Payton, Christian McBride, and Berklee alumnus Roy Hargrove. Mark received a full-tuition award on the Berklee Scholarship Tour in Austin during his senior year at the prestigious High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, Texas. In 1998, Mark was the bassist selected for the National Honors Jazz Band. He appears on the latest Berklee "Summa Cum Jazz II" CD on the BMG Jazz Foundations label. Mark represented Berklee in 1999 at the Phoenix Jazz Festival in Kobe, Japan, and the Monterey Jazz Festival; and last year at the IAJE Conference in New Orleans, the Blue Note in New York, and the UmbriaJazz Festival in Perugia, Italy.

Kendrick Scott '02 (Houston, TX), drums
Kendrick Scott was one of five recipients of the 1999 Clifford Brown/Stan Getz fellowships from IAJE and the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts. He performed that year with the other honorees at the IAJE conference in Anaheim, and at the Clifford Brown Jazz Festival. Kendrick attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston and received the Blue Note Records scholarship to the Skidmore Summer Jazz Institute. In 1998, he received the Annual Down Beat Magazine Student Music Scholarship for Outstanding Jazz Performer. Since coming to Berklee, he has performed with alumni Roy Hargrove, Darren Barrett, Reuben Rogers, and Doron Richard Johnson. The recipient of Berklee's Most Active Drummer Award, Kendrick appears on the Berklee "Summa Cum Jazz II" CD. He represented the college in 1999 at the Phoenix Jazz Festival in Kobe, Japan, and last year at the Blue Note in New York, the UmbriaJazz Festival, and the Monterey Jazz Festival.

Walter Smith '02 (Houston, TX), leader, tenor saxophone
Walter Smith was selected to study in the fall of 1999 at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. At the H.S. for the Performing and Visual Arts, he was President of the Student Chapter of the IAJE and a member of the National Honor Society. In 1998, Walter received Down Beat magazine's award for Outstanding High School Jazz Soloist; the Blue Note Records scholarship to the Skidmore Summer Jazz Institute; a Clifford Brown/Stan Getz Fellowship from IAJE and NFAA; the NFAA Young Talent Award; and a United States Presidential Scholar in the Arts medal.In 1999, Walter received Berklee's Woodwind Department Award. Walter represented the college last year at the Blue Note in New York, and the UmbriaJazz Festival. A week after this Blue Note appearance, Walter will also lead the Berklee group on the QE2's trans-Atlantic sailing of the 19^th Annual floating Jazz Festival from May 19-25. The group will appear on the bill with such jazz stars as Gary Burton and Makoto Ozone, Annie Ross, Monty Alexander Trio, Tommy Flanagan Trio, and Houston Person and Etta Jones.

Warren Wolf '01 (Baltimore, MD) vibraphone
Warren Wolf grew up as a musical prodigy, in both classical and jazz environments. At age three, he began learning a variety of mallet instruments, as well as drumset and piano, by emulating his father, a social studies teacher and jazz musician. By age five, Warren was showcasing his talents in numerous musical venues throughout the Baltimore and Washington DC area. For the past ten years, he has been performing as a guest soloist with the Baltimore Symphony, including a three-week East Coast tour with flautist James Galway that included performances at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. From 1994 to 1997, Warren was the principal percussionist with the Peabody Sinfonia (Peabody Preparatory of the Johns Hopkins University), twice touring England and Europe. After graduating from the Baltimore School for the Arts in 1997, Warren was the recipient of Berklee's B.E.S.T. scholarship for entering students. He has performed with many world-renowned artists, including Lionel Hampton, Milt Jackson, and Berklee alumni Cyrus Chestnut and Antonio Hart.

Founded in 1945, Berklee College of Music has been advancing careers in contemporary music for more than 50 years. The world's largest independent college of music, Berklee has a multi-cultural enrollment of more than 3,300 students, 35 percent of whom are international. The college's alumni include some of the most respected figures in contemporary music, including many multi-Grammy award winners.

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