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Clem DeRosa 1925-2011

Clem DeRosa passed away peacefully in his sleep last night, Dec 20th at 11PM CST. He succumbed after a long battle with cancer surrounded by family. An internationally respected musician (educator, professional conductor/bandleader, composer, arranger, drummer, and author), his greatest legacy was as one of the pioneers of jazz education dating back to the 1950s. He was perhaps the first public school educator to instill a solid jazz curriculum and teaching method in the 1950s that became nationally recognized by 1961 (his bands appearing on the Johnny Carson and Merv Griffin TV shows) by producing young high school jazz bands that sounded astonishingly professional. Gil Evans, Johnny Richards, and Billy Byers were just three prominent arrangers who were so impressed with Clem’s results, that they had his young bands perform their arrangements publicly and also record them.

Clem was a key founding member of the organization that would become the National Association of Jazz Educators and subsequently grew into the International Association of Jazz Educators. He also worked very closely with Stan Kenton as a faculty member of the Stan Kenton Clinics along with Gene Hall, Leon Breeden and others.

Upon his retirement from music education in 1980, Clem spent most of his career touring the world as a professional bandleader for the Glenn Miller, Jimmy Dorsey, and Benny Goodman orchestras and was also a co-author of several books including ones with Mel Lewis, Dick Hyman, Michael Moore, and Ed Shaugnessy.  Clem was also a founder and President of the American Jazz Venues, a non-profit organization formed by Jazz artists, educators, and Jazz enthusiasts from diverse professions and backgrounds whose singular focus is to the health and survival of America’s indigenous musical art form, Jazz

A devoted husband, father, and grandfather, Clem is survived by his wife Shirley, his children Richard, Dianne, and Gary, and two grandchildren, Martina and Janice.

A memorial service is being planned for the New York Metropolitan area for mid-May.   

In lieu of Flowers, the family asks that a donation be made to:
The Clem DeRosa Jazz Scholarship @ Smithtown High School East (NY)

c\o Ed Balsamo

#6 Angelo Court

St. James, NY 11780

We will have more information about the Memorial Service after the new year.  

Read Arnold J. Smith's blog tribute to Clem.

http://www.mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=149633

Read Clem DeRosa's Obituary on All About Jazz.