Contact Us
Call Us: (800) 808-0917
Mon-Fri: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm CST
Send us an email
Links
Categories
About Class Act

How did John Coltrane influence hip-hop? Why is Billie Holiday's voice so unique? How did Dave Brubeck force pro-civil rights policy in the South?
Created in 2015 after an epiphany Justin Varnes had while teaching a college Jazz History course, the Jazz Legacy Project combines education with entertainment. Each show features compelling stories about the artists and their influence on American music and culture woven in between authentic performances of popular jazz songs designed to engage casual audiences.
"It's a jazz concert and music appreciation class in one...oh, and they play their behinds off, too!" - Tamara Fuller, Velvet Note
Featuring Actress/Vocalist Maria Howell, come hear Holiday's inspiring story her iconic music while learning about Holiday's importance both on and off the stage.
'Trane's music directly shaped R&B, Soul, and eventually Hip-hop. Learn how & why, while also being inspired by his battle to overcome early childhood trauma and missed opportunities to create some of the most indelible and important music of the 20th century.
Members of the Jazz Legacy Project have been educators and community music program leaders for over two decades, teaching and leading programs and institutions such as:
University of Miami
Georgia Tech University
The Lovett School
Young Audiences
Atlanta Music Project
Rialto Jazz for Kids
Rialto Youth Jazz Orchestra

JLP offers clinics and residencies for college programs. This includes work with the jazz bands as well as presentations for the larger survey courses, such as music appreciation.

We have presented an A/V program combined with narration and Q&A of several of our shows in the Fulton County Library system, as well as live performances in the Fulton County Library System and many Senior/Active Adult Communities.

45-60-minute program introducing K-5 students to jazz and how jazz works.
The program includes involving volunteers to play and/or dance at the end of the program.
We work with each school's music teacher to create classroom augmentation in our presentations.
Options include working directly with the jazz ensembles or performing and doing master classes for the entire band/orchestra program.
Our group can cover each major instrument group: winds, percussion, piano, and strings.
If we are touring with a vocalist, we can include choral programs as well.

We offer an opportunity for a Q&A session before or after our performance. This can be offered as a VIP ticket or open to the public. The Q&A sessions can include musical performances as well.

