A native of New Orleans, the birthplace of America’s music, Victor Goines is an accomplished composer, musician, and educator.  

He serves as the president and chief executive officer of Jazz St. Louis. 

In 2016, his composition Untamed Elegance, a tribute to the Jazz Age, was performed by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

Other commissions include Suite for Bird for the Music Institute of Chicago, Crescent City for JALC, and Benny: Then, Now, Forever for the Louis Armstrong Foundation.

Goines has been a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra since 1993, as part of the saxophone section, in addition to being featured on the clarinet.  

He served as the Director of Jazz Studies at Northwestern University and was the Artistic Director of the Jazz Studies Program at the Juilliard School.  

He has recorded and performed with Ray Charles, Eric Clapton, Dizzy Gillespie, Dianne Reeves, Willie Nelson, Shirley Horn, B.B. King, Bob Dylan, and a host of other renowned musicians and ensembles. 

Goines composed the Woodlawn Suite in recognition of celebrating the legendary jazz artists buried at Woodlawn Cemetery. 

For the audio portion of the podcast, songs featured were Raise a Glass to Dorothy and Madam CJ Walker, both featured on Victor’s latest CD, The Woodlawn Suite.

The link to his full biography, along with the resources for this episode, is on our website. 

Our sponsor for this episode is Rovner Products, makers of fine ligatures for over 50 years.

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We talked about:

• The importance of active listening and finding something new in the music each time.

• The significance of communication and listening in improvisation, comparing it to having a conversation.

• Victor's journey in jazz, starting in New Orleans and eventually moving to New York to pursue his musical career.

• The impact of studying with Ellis Marsalis on Victor's development as a musician.

• The importance of continuous learning and striving to improve skills as a composer and musician.
• And so much more!

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