Boca Raton Downtown Bazaar, Tremendous event!

The Jazz Alliance Network is a Florida-based organization. We are developing and scheduling new and exciting monthly programs to deliver Jazz music in our region. Jazz music brings people of all cultures and backgrounds together.  Our organization cultivates the spirit and magic of Jazz which will enrich the cultural landscape of
Jacksonville and surrounding communities.

www.jazzalliancenetwork.webs.com

Ralph Morris Penland was a modest virtuoso of the drums who loved to teach, but performing was his life. The prolific jazz drummer and Cincinnati native worked with a Who’s Who in the jazz world.

Mr. Penland died on March 13 from complications of a stroke. He was 61.

Despite the many superstars with whom he performed, from Frank Sinatra to Miles Davis, Mr. Penland remained quiet, humble and a devoted Jehovah’s Witness, his family said. He was an active performer, clinician and faculty member at Pasadena City College in California.

He graduated from Taft High School, where he studied drums and performed in many ensembles – including a program with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, which he recalled in an interview years later. As a teen, he played with some of the best of Cincinnati’s jazz community, which laid the foundation for a life in jazz.

When it comes to putting a 'focus' on Jazz music, you need only to check out Gene Perla and his group,
"Fleetwing" but on this night Gene was playing with a special guest, the profound, Dave Liebman, on
Soprano Sax, some really great music to hear!