A Message From Les DeMerle
Artistic Director, Amelia Island Jazz Festival

The Amelia Island Jazz Festival concerts explode with exciting, swinging jazz played with passion, expertise and soul by many of today’s leading jazz artists. Each year’s talent roster is the best line-up we can assemble.  Headliners of the festival have included Harry Allen, Marcus Printup,Richie Cole, Frank Tiberi and the Woody Herman Sax Section, the Bill Allred Classic Jazz Band, the
19-piece US Navy Big Band Southeast, and the Dynamic Les DeMerle Band featuring vocalist Bonnie Eisele. This year we are proud to welcome several more jazz greats to our Festival including our biggest name yet - Grammy Award-winning saxophonist, David Sanborn.

So don’t miss a beat! I hope to see you on the scene with all the action and the fun at the next Amelia Island Jazz Festival.

___

Les DeMerle launched his career as drummer for jazz vibraphone great, Lionel Hampton. He then toured for 12 years with jazz trumpet master, Harry James, recording three albums with him including the Grammy-winning King James Version. Les followed this achievement with the formation of his own jazz-rock/fusion band, Transfusion, which produced five award-winning recordings. He has also toured with Manhattan Transfer, and appeared with such musical greats at Lou Rawls, Sammy Davis, Jr., Frank Sinatra, Mel Tormè, and Joe Williams. A resident of Amelia Island since 1991, Les continues to perform at concerts and festivals with his trio, quartet, and the Dynamic Les DeMerle Big Band Orchestra featuring Bonnie Eisele, which has recorded ten CDs.

  
             
             
       
         
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