On the south side of St. Pete on Saturday, August 31, 2024, a handful of adventurous high schoolers shuffled into The Pinellas Community Church. These students were among the first to participate in the first Al Downing Youth Jam, a jam session created by Dwayne White. Mr. White, a jazz educator and mentor in St. Pete, led the students, teaching them important musical and philosophical concepts. The first and arguably most important of these concepts was listening. Students often become focused on their technique and may overlook what is right in front of them. Mr. White reminded them of the old adage, “We have one mouth and two ears.” The students participated in a legendary jazz exercise called “trading,” which requires players to listen closely and respond to each other by exchanging musical phrases. A breakthrough moment finally took place when a young, beginning saxophonist named Bentley softly started playing. He shyly introduced himself to everyone. Unfamiliar with the music, he improvised—a key component of Jazz. Mr. White guided Bentley through a simple two-note melody from Duke Ellington’s "C Jam Blues," while the other musicians cheered him on. This is Jazz in action: a community coming together and riffing on a tune. Join us for a fun afternoon of practice and play! All instrumentalists and vocalists are encouraged to participate. Parents and supporters are welcomed to stay for the session. See you there!

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