Aletha teaches full time at Columbia College, where her classes include music theory, piano, choir, and jazz ensemble. She also teaches part
time at USC, directing the vocal jazz group, Carolina Alive.
Also a graduate of both CC (bachelor’s) and USC (master’s), she has traveled the world playing/singing in many different kinds of venues, from
entertaining our soldiers abroad, backing up guest artists in the area, playing touring broadway shows, dueling pianos, and many different local
bands playing beach music, rock, and/or jazz. She has done this for over 50 years.
Events:
April 10 at 7:30 at the USC School of Music Recital Hall Aletha will direct Carolina Alive in concert. This is a free concert. Bring your family and friends.
Growing up in Evanston, Illinois, Ron Hockett began playing professionally with George Brunies, Bobby Gordon and the Salty Dogs while still in high school. A member of the popular youth group, The Windjammers, Hockett took part in rehearsals that turned into jam sessions with visiting greats Bobby Hackett, Bud Freeman and Jimmy McPartland. While a student at Princeton, Ron toured the Orient with the Dukes of Dixieland. From 1970 to 1999, he was the lead saxophonist and clarinet soloist in the “President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band in Washington, D.C., performing throughout the U.S. and Europe, and making regular appearances at the White House. After retiring from the Marine Band, Ron began a 12-year run as the Clarinetist with the Jim Cullum Jazz Band in San Antonio, (from 1999 to 2011) and appeared on hundreds of public radio programs with Cullum in the series “Riverwalk: Live From the Landing” which can still be heard on the internet at https://riverwalkjazz.stanford.edu/
He now lives in Charlotte and is a frequent guest at the Carolina Jazz Society sessions.
Categories
Doug Graham will lead this Sunday
Our season got off to a great start in September with a nice crowd despite several other music and theater events scheduled at the same time! Thanks to several renewing members and one new member. Those who made it were treated to quite a show with three stellar clarinets. Hope to see more of our new friend Ron Hockett from Charlotte going forward, and the visit from Pete Neighbor was also welcome.
While our guest clarinets were welcome, we cannot neglect our resident wizard of the wooden horn, Doug Graham, who will be calling the tunes in October.
We have a great season lined up, and a real treat for our first show, Sunday Sep. 11, featuring three stellar clarinet players. Our own Doug Graham who needs no introduction; Pete Neighbor who has graced our stage before from the Holy City of Charleston after coming over from England, and a welcome new visitor, Ron Hockett.
Looking forward to the rest of the season and the return of the special Christmas show with guests from our gracious host, Heyward Street Methodist.
Our May 1, 2022 show will be a slight change of pace, Jazz of the same era but from across the pond: the Flat Out Strangers will join our fabulous house band with the sounds of “Le Jazz Hot” from 1930’s France. Check out the Strangers on their Facebook page; they play frequently around Columbia and have a following in the swing dance community. The style is sometimes called “Gypsy Jazz” or “Jazz Manouche” because Romani guitarist Django Reinhart, along with violinist Stephane Grapelli in the Quintette de Hot Club de France were innovators and popularizers of this style of jazz.
David Roof – President
To quote Cole Porter, “IT’S SPRING AGAIN AND BIRDS ON THE WING AGAIN”, and Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart have confirmed that “SPRING IS HERE”. So it is a time for love – and – of course for MUSIC!
My assignment is to lead the troops this Sunday for our April 3rd Carolina Jazz Society gathering at Heyward Street United Methodist. It is a time for songs about spring and about April and I have done my research. There are number of selections that deserve to be heard. (For the most part, I am avoiding the ones that shouldn’t be heard.) Aletha always graces us with a fine vocal number or three and I am hoping that she does “JOY SPRING”, a true jazz classic. I, on the other hand, am preparing a song about April in Alaska. Yes, I know it is an un-classic and there is no ground swell for me to perform it, but I’m doing to it anyway. In any event, I hope that you can join us Sunday for a round of fun tunes — played by our house band in the joyful jazz tradition. – Dick Goodwin
But as usual, he will have plenty of help from the rest of the gang! When I say, multi-talented, that covers the waterfront. In addition to being a superb bassist, Dustin also tunes and repairs pianos (and keeps the club’s piano in tip-top shape). Plus, I’m pretty sure Dustin still owns and operates a sawmill. What’s more, Dustin is from Minnesota with about 250 acres of farmland that still produces. Smart thinking because, he can go up there where it’s cool during the summer vs staying in SC where it is “somewhat warmer”.
Hope to see you at the concert January 9, 2022 2:30-5:00pm.
Heyward Street UMC activity hall, 2501 Heyward St.
Thanks to Pastor Tammy Blom, we have a new venue for our concerts. Heyward Street United Methodist Church, 2501 Heyward St. in Columbia SC! Our October concert features ALETHA JACOBS leading! 2:30 – 5 pm. $10 cash or check at the door. $5 for members. Free admission for patrons. Social distancing – MASKS required. All are welcome!
It just isn’t feasible for us to perform in person these days, but this broadcast from an empty warehouse might help hold us until we can be back at the Lourie Center for our fun Sunday afternoons. We miss all of you!
The Dick Goodwin Big Band
Livesteam Concert — 8:00-9:00 on Wed., Nov. 18th.
Tune in — or view later at:
https://www.facebook.com/events/3418832261506181
vocalists: Kristi Hood and John Wilkinson
trumpets: Charlie Polk and Dave Allison
trombones: Bruce Clark, Ashley Fleshman, and Ed Craft
guitar: Jerry Sims
bass: Terry Trentham
drums: Jim Hall
sax & clarinet: Doug Graham
trumpet & keyboard: Dick Goodwin
I hope you can join us! … Dick
More Cola Jazz livestream concerts are listed at: https://www.facebook.com/colajazz/live_videos/