November 2009
Volume 75, Number 2

2009 Inductees

Three distinguished Louisiana jazz educators have been selected for induction to the Louisiana Association of Jazz Educators Hall of Fame in 2009.  The award ceremony takes place preceding the LMEA All-State Jazz Ensemble performance at the annual LMEA State Music Conference.  The public is invited to attend along with friends and families of the administrator.

Ellis Marsalis is regarded by many as the premier modern jazz pianist in New Orleans. Born on November 14, 1934, he began formal music studies at the Xavier University junior school of music at age eleven. After high school Marsalis enrolled in Dillard University (New Orleans) as a clarinet major. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in music education in 1955. Marsalis spent the next year working as an assistant manager in his father’s motel business.

The following year Marsalis then joined the U.S. Marine Corps and, while stationed in southern California, began honing his skills as a pianist on a television show entitled "Dress Blues" and a radio show called "Leatherneck Songbook". Both shows were sponsored by the Marine Corps. After completing a stint in the Marine Corps, Marsalis returned to New Orleans and married Dolores Ferdinand, a New Orleanian, who bore him six sons; Branford, Wynton, Ellis III, Delfeayo, Miboya and Jason.

In 1964 Marsalis moved his wife and family of, at that time, four sons to the small rural Louisiana town of Breaux Bridge where he became a school band and choral director at Carver High School for two years. Returning to New Orleans, he began to freelance once again on the local music scene. Between 1966 and 1974 Marsalis would perform at the Playboy Club (New Orleans), in the Al Hirt night club, Lu and Charles night club and enter the teaching profession again as an adjunct professor at Xavier University (New Orleans).

While the family continued to grow, Marsalis decided to return to school in the early summer session of 1974 working towards a Masters Degree at Loyola University (New Orleans). Marsalis would also interview for a teaching position at a new Magnet school for the arts. His interview was successful and he was hired in the fall semester of 1974 at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) where he would spend the next twelve years as an instrumental music teacher with a Jazz studies emphasis.

In 1986 Marsalis accepted the position of Commonwealth Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia.  He would spend two of the three years as coordinator of Jazz Studies before returning to New Orleans and the University of New Orleans to become the first occupant of the Coca Cola endowed chair of Jazz Studies as the director.

Marsalis has been the recipient of Honorary Doctorate degrees from his alma mater, Dillard University, New Orleans, Louisiana (1989) and Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana (1997).

Marsalis has been a guest on several network television shows. He has appeared on NBC's "TODAY" with host Bryant Gumbel; “The Tonight Show” with both Johnny Carson and Jay Leno as hosts; the Arsenio Hall show with pianist Marcus Roberts; The Charlie Rose show; Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood; ABC's GOOD MORNING AMERICA with Spencer Christian and several local and regional television shows. In 1984 Marsalis and New Orleans singer/actress Joanne "Lady BJ" Creighton shared honors at the Ace Awards ceremony for the best single music program on cable television. Marsalis continues to be active as a performing pianist leading his own group and has several recordings on the CBS-SONY label. He is currently developing his own recording label, ELM RECORDS, with his wife Dolores and son Jason.

On August 10, 2001 Marsalis officially retired from the University of New Orleans after twelve years as the first occupant of the Coca Cola Jazz Chair and the Director of the Jazz Studies Division.

John Gerbrecht, a third generation New Orleans musician, began studying trumpet with his father and later with his uncle.  After graduating from Warren Easton High School in 1948, he studied trumpet at L.S.U.  While there, he taught at Catholic High and played professionally in the Baton Rouge and New Orleans areas.  He received his BME in 1952.  It was at Catholic High that John began working with his first high school Jazz group, then called “Stage Bands.”

After spending two years in Army Service Bands in San Antonio and Alaska, he returned to L.S.U. (and Catholic High), and received his Master of Music Education Degree in 1956.  Other schools in which he taught are:  Breaux Bridge High, Joseph Kohn Jr. High (New Orleans), Port Allen High, Glasgow Jr. High, Robert E. Lee High, and Baton Rouge Magnet High.  While teaching Band and Orchestra, he always found time to organize outstanding Jazz Ensembles, and managed to continue studies at L.S.U., acquiring 30+ hours.  He also became certified to supervise student teachers. 

He taught two summers at L.S.U., and also played with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra for twenty years, until 1975.  Since retiring from public school teaching (40 years) in 1994, John continues to play professionally, freelancing on trumpet and drums, and still takes time to do some private teaching.  He plays trumpet with the Pelican State Brass and directs the Baton Rouge Jazz Ensemble, a 19-piece big band comprised of outstanding musicians throughout the community. 

In 2004, John “came out of retirement” to teach band at St. George Catholic School.  It allowed him to work along with his daughter and to teach his two grandsons.  In addition to concert band, he also started a spring jazz program for the middle school students.  The St. George Jazz Combos and Jazz Band have participated in the Loyola Jazz Festival for the past five years, earning top ratings and soloists awards.  In 2006, the St. George Jazz Combo was the first middle school combo to be invited to the prestigious University of North Texas Jazz Festival.  John Gerbrecht continues to build a legacy as an exceptional jazz educator and still today maintains the highest level of excellence in his teaching and performing.

Lee J. Fortier was always a jazz man.  He grew up in B.R. and started playing the bugle by ear and later switched to trumpet.  He didn’t really learn to read music until he went to Catholic High and Brother Oliver took an interest in his playing.  During his 45-minute lunch break, Fortier would go to the library and Brother Oliver would teach him to read music.  But Fortier was not sorry he learned to play by ear because he was always interested in improvisation, and that’s what jazz is all about. 

After graduation from CHS, Fortier went to LSU where he earned a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in music.  Fortier was a member of Woody Herman’s famous “Third Herd,” having toured the country for six months when he decided his family came first.    Before going on the road, he had taught in Catholic schools, St. Gerard and St. Anthony.  When he left Woody Herman in 1953, he began teaching at the old BR Junior High School, later moving to Westdale. 

When Broadmoor High opened, he took the position as Instrumental Music Director, where he built a reputation as one of the top jazz teachers in the state. In 1977, when the magnet school opened, he divided his time between BRMHS and Broadmoor and the next year moved to BRMHS full time. Throughout his years of teaching, Fortier also remained active in the live music scene in B.R. playing with the Buddy Lee Orchestra, which he co-founded.  Lee Fortier was a true artist in the world of jazz and an exceptional teacher who inspired his students through his love of music and his gift to stir the greatness in others.

Fortier*Gerbrecht
Jazz Invitational Concert

Together, Lee Fortier and John Gerbrecht were the initial organizers of a jazz invitational concert over 40 years ago. It was a vision of these two exceptional educators to give local school jazz bands the opportunity to perform before they would attend spring jazz festivals.  After Mr. Fortier’s passing in Dec.1988, the Invitational Concert was renamed the Lee J. Fortier Jazz Invitational Concert in his memory.  At the 2008 Invitational, Bobby Campo, current BRMHS Director of Bands and former student of both Fortier and Gerbrecht, renamed the Invitational the Fortier*Gerbrecht Jazz Invitational to commemorate and acknowledge the contributions of both outstanding jazz educators.   Mr. Gerbrecht along with Bobby Campo continues as a sponsor of the jazz event held each spring at Baton Rouge Magnet High School.  Over the years, it has proven to be a great showcase of talented young jazz musicians.