2023 NATIONAL JAZZ HONORS ADJUDICATORS

Jeff Jarvis

Jeff Jarvis comes from a family of music educators and has distinguished himself as a trumpeter, composer, professor and music publisher. Jeff is an S.E. Shires trumpet artist and has served as Director of Jazz Studies at the Bob Cole Conservatory at California State University Long Beach since 2005. As a trumpet soloist, adjudicator and clinician, Jeff makes frequent appearances at educational jazz festivals, jazz camps, and music education conferences. Jeff Jarvis composes commissions for school, military, and professional big bands and pops orchestras. He has composed and/or arranged over 175 published works for Kendor Music, Belwin Jazz, iJazzMusic, and UNC Jazz Press. He co-authored The Jazz Educators Handbook with Doug Beach (which is also translated in Japanese), The Chord Voicing Handbook with Matt Harris, and Effective Etudes For Jazz, Volumes 1 & 2 with Mike Carubia. As a conductor, Jeff has led honors jazz ensembles in 39 states and 4 Canadian provinces. He is a Past President of the California Alliance for Jazz, served as Vice-President of the International Association for Jazz Education, Music Director of the Central New York Jazz Orchestra from 1998-2005, and was co-owner of Kendor Music Publishing from 1985-2015. Jeff Jarvis is a Gold Medal winner in the Global Music Awards, an international arts organization that recognized Jarvis in 2019 with a special award for “Lifetime Contributions to Jazz and Jazz Education”.

Jeff’s solo recordings as a jazz trumpeter and composer have won critical acclaim and placed high on national air play charts. His early career as a studio trumpeter encompasses over 100 R&B and disco recordings for such names as Lou Rawls, Michael Jackson, Melba Moore, The O’Jays and more. Live performance credits include Gladys Knight, Van Morrison, Dizzy Gillespie, Louie Bellson, Joe Williams, Benny Golson, Jon Hendricks, Jimmy Heath, Joe Lovano, Henry Mancini, Slide Hampton, Kevin Mahogany, Grady Tate, Eddie Daniels, Rob McConnell, and Doc Severinsen.

Jeff has performed throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia and Indonesia. He has been a featured guest soloist with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Denver Symphony Orchestra, Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, USAF Airmen of Note, US Army Jazz Ambassadors, US Army Blues, Jazz Knights of the United States Military Academy Band at West Point, USAF Commanders Jazz Band, USAF Shades of Blue, Riverside Jazz Orchestra, Dallas Jazz Orchestra, Oslo Big Band (Norway), Frank Mantooth Jazz Orchestra, Tom Kubis Big Band and more.