Jazz at the Magnolia

Saturday, Sept. 16 The 5thAnnual “Jazz at the Magnolia”—sponsored by Georgia College & State University and Allied Arts—will be at 7:30 p.m. in Magnolia Ballroom in the Student Activity Center. The GCSU Faculty Jazz Quartet and Student Jazz Combo will join guest artist and trumpeter Leonard Foy and jazz pianist Dr. Geoff Haydon, a faculty member of Georgia State University, for this rousing community concert and fundraising event. Refreshments will be offered. Tickets are $20. To obtain tickets online, please click on the red RSVP button on the event box or below, visit bigtickets.com, or use this link: https://bit.ly/jazzatthemagnolia. If seating is still available, tickets can be purchased at the door for $25. Proceeds support Allied Arts in their mission to make the arts accessible to all residents and the GCSU Department of Music. For more information, please email music@gcsu.edu or call 478-445-8289.

About the Performers

The Georgia College Faculty Jazz Quartet was formed in fall 2019. It has performed as part of the concert series and hosted Amici Jazz Jams, as well as other community and campus events. The group has performed with local musicians from the Atlanta area such as Tyrone Jackson (piano), Karla Harris (voice, Louis Heriveaux (piano), and national artist such as Dr. Trineice Robinson-Martin (vocals). The GC faculty quartet includes Don Parker, vibes/drums; Chris Enghauser, bass; Andrew Allen, saxophone, Cliff Towner, trumpet, Robert Stewart, guitar and Mia Eaton, drums.

Leonard (Lennie) Foy is Professor Emeritus of Trumpet at the DePauw University School of Music. A native of the “City of Arts and Innovation”, Winston-Salem, NC, he was born to both a musically dedicated community and musically gifted family.

Lennie is one of the most versatile trumpeters of his generation. Praised as soloist, chamber musician, collaborative artist, and clinician in both jazz and classical performing arts, his career includes performances with a variety of celebrity artists and ensembles at prominent venues in the United States, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Finland, Argentina, England, Egypt, and Russia. His appearances include extensive engagement with the Nashville Chamber Orchestra, the GRAMMY Award-winning Nashville Symphony Orchestra, as an inaugural member with both the Gateways Festival Orchestra for classical musicians of African descent and also the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, which is acclaimed to be “the best Jazz Repertory Band in the country” (The New Yorker).

A highly sought after soloist and collaborative musician, Lennie has performed with jazz artists Wycliffe Gordon, Peter Erskine, John Fedchock; classical performance ensembles Tromba Mundi, Nashville Chamber Brass Society, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Gateways Brass Collective, Colour of Music Festival Orchestra; touring jazz groups the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, Glen Miller Orchestra, Woody Herman Orchestra; and a variety of feature orchestras including artists Aretha Franklin, Johnny Mathis, Maureen McGovern, Frank Sinatra Jr., the Temptations, Andy Williams, and Stevie Wonder. Lennie has acclaimed recordings with the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, Buselli/Wallarab Jazz Orchestra, Brass Band of Battle Creek, DePauw University Band, and the Nashville Symphony Orchestra.

Professor Foy is a dedicated teacher committed to sustained excellence in teaching, scholarly, and creative work as recognized by his recent appointment as the Cassel Grubb University Professor of Music at DePauw University. Additionally, he was awarded the Edwin L. Minar Jr. scholarship in recognition of significant scholarly achievement of a university faculty member. Lennie serves as artist/faculty at Shell Lake Arts Camp, Birch Creek Academy, the Interlochen Arts Camp, and has taught outreach education events sponsored by the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Lafayette Symphony Orchestra, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Brass Band of Battle Creek, Columbus Jazz Arts Group, and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. A proud and devoted teacher since 1985, his students have won top prizes in competitions and hold top professional performing and teaching positions. Lennie has been featured artist/clinician for leading conferences, university events, and festivals including the Ravinia Festival, International Trumpet Guild Conference, University of Wisconsin Jazz Festival, Purdue University Jazz Festival, Interlochen Arts Academy, Tennessee Music Educators Conference, Wisconsin School Music Association Conference, Illinois Music Educators State Honors Festival, and North Carolina Music Educators Association.

Professor Emeritus Foy holds a bachelor’s and a master's degree from the University of Rochester (NY) - Eastman School of Music where he was awarded the coveted Performer’s Certificate and has completed extensive work as a doctoral candidate at the Indiana University - Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, IN. Lennie is a Conn-Selmer artist. 

Geoff Haydon is a native of Manassas,Virginia. Dr. Geoffrey Haydon has successfully bridged both classical and jazz styles of performance. Currently Dr. Haydon coordinates the piano faculty at Georgia State University where he teaches piano, piano literature, jazz history and jazz theory. Known as a classical and jazz soloist, he is also a member of the Haydon-Lyke Piano Duo, the American Music Trio, the Haydon/Parker Duo and the Georgia State University Faculty Jazztet. 

Dr. Haydon has performed throughout the U.S., in Europe, Russia, China, Japan, South America and Central America. He has performed with well-known jazz artists such as Eddie Daniels, Joe Henderson, Bill Watrous, Marvin Stamm, Nick Brignola, Randy Brecker, Indugu Chancler, Conrad Herwig and Hal Crook. He has also performed with touring shows including The Phantom of the Opera, The King and I, The Producers, Hairspray, Sister Act and Grease. 

In addition, Dr. Haydon is in demand as a clinician and adjudicator. He has numerous publications with Alfred Publishing, Warner Bros., Stipes Publishing and is co-author of Jazz History Overview, a textbook by Kendall Hunt Publishing. In collaboration with editor Robert Pace and arranger James Lyke, Dr. Haydon has co-arranged American popular songs for solo piano in a book titled Oldies But Goodies published by Lee Roberts Publications (distributed by Hal Leonard Publications). Beginning Jazz, a book of Dr. Haydon’s jazz piano compositions, and a Christmas piano duet book have been published by Lee Roberts Publications. Both include MIDI accompaniment tracks available on CD. He has developed an impressive reputation as someone with a high level of expertise using technology in the areas of performance, composition, arranging and pedagogy. 

Dr. Haydon is an artist/clinician with the Contemporary Keyboard Division of Roland. He can be heard on Cabin Fever, a jazz CD by the McLean-Haydon Jazz Quartet, and My Foolish Heart and Reunion, jazz piano/vibraphone CDs by the Haydon/Parker Duo. Both CDs are available on the ACA Digital label. Dr. Haydon received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Richmond and studied for three summers at the Aspen Music Festival. He received his Master’s and Doctorate of Musical Arts degrees from the University of Texas at Austin where he studied with Nancy Garrett and Gregory Allen.