Our Work

The Jazz Drama Program started as:

“An extremely successful series of jazz musicals staged at the Louis Armstrong Middle School in Corona, Queens. Can you imagine 50+ youngsters steeped in blues, bebop and swing, including free-form interludes inspired by Sun Ra? Believe it.”
All About Jazz New York

Jazz composer Eli Yamin and teacher/writer Clifford Carlson joined forces in 1998. After writing and premiering 5 new musicals in 5 years people starting taking notice. National Public Radio and the Daily News did a story on their work and middle schoolers in Washington Heights did their own version of Nora’s Ark, the jazz musical by Yamin and Carlson. Since the first premiere, 5 Yamin/Carlson musicals have had 15 productions at numerous schools all over the New York Metro area. Hundreds of young people have embraced the work with their time and talent by performing the shows as dancers, singers, actors, instrumentalists and technical crew and over 20,000 children and adults have applauded their efforts.

Jazz offers a unique opportunity for young people to improvise, work together in teams and express feelings. The Jazz Drama program is unique by combining jazz and theatre and developing stories in tune with today’s youth. The Jazz Drama Program became a non-profit 501c3 corporation in 2004 to commission original jazz musicals for young people and disseminate the work worldwide.

Nora’s Ark, the jazz musical by Eli Yamin and Clifford Carlson is now available for rental with licensing fees to produce in your space as a either a mini-production or the full scale version. Both versions come with a CD of the songs, piano/vocal score, script and orchestrations for several instruments. Professional Development and Artistic Consulting are fee-based services that can also be contracted. Call or email us today with an inquiry.

NORA’S ARK

The Story…
Nora, a scientist, predicts the melting of the poles and the flooding of the Earth. Rescuing the animals at the Bronx Zoo, Nora and her daughters, Dora, Flora, Lora and Fitzi rent a cruise ship. It seems all are saved, except that daughter Fitzi forgets to bring food. Predators look on their fellow passengers as prey. All animals discover that freedom is a greater sustaining force than food and all ultimately cooperate in finding an edible solution.

The Songs…
It’s Gonna Rain
Swing beat, heavy use of layered riffs a la Charles Mingus “Blues and Roots.”

There’s Blue All Around Me (Predators)
Down home blues.

There’s Blue All Around Me (Prey)
Further down home blues. Same melody as previous with different words.

Swingin’ On the Family Tree
Medium swing dance number

I See Blue
Swinging bebop melody over harmony from “Blue Skies.”

HOLDING THE TORCH FOR LIBERTY

The Story…
Sarah, a seamstress at the Liberty Pants Factory and fellow suffragettes fight for the right to vote. They enlist the spirit of women to fight the forces of inequality. They are provoked by Wild Boars; a boisterous group of male chauvinists, but with the help of The Statute of Liberty overcome the obstacles against them.

The Songs...
Newsgirl Rag
Ragtime, historical piece (circa 1917)

It’s the Way That You Talk
New Orleans second line a la W.C. Handy’s St. Louis Blues.

Don’t Go Back On Your Raisin’
Jazz Ballad.

Wildcat Strut
Honky Tonk blues with built-in line dance.

What is America?
Anthem for voting rights for women

MESSAGE FROM SATURN

The Story...
Mary, Lou and William discover evidence that the Milky Way is dying. The Zodiac Constellations have disappeared. Given a mission by The Big Bang, the children set off with a group of singing and dancing Asteroids to the Four Elements, (Earth, Water, Air and Fire) to learn about the blues from the Zodiac Constellations. They return to The Night Sky and using their new knowledge play the Blues and save the galaxy. The Blues, it is revealed, has been the healing energy holding the universe together for billions of years.

The Songs...
Message From Saturn
Bluesy 2 feeling into swing a la Armstrong/Sinatra.

Music Holds the Key
Hora/jazz style.\

You Can Call Me Louise
2-part jazz/r&b ballad. **Boys and Girls Choral Arrangement Available**

Healing Song
Swinging, bluesy number.

HEAR MY VOICE

The Story...
The play expresses the views of middle school children on issues ranging from sex and drugs to teachers and parents. The musical begins as a young girl dances her way through the audience. She searches for the illusive butterfly of intuition and leads the cast into the first ensemble song. Growin’ Up, the opening number, introduces us to the world of the young adult. Family chores, physical changes and intellectual challenges are some of the numerous trials endured by modern children as they battle their way through that age old dilemma: How can I be a part of a group and still retain my individuality? A young crusader for children’s civil rights has no problem expressing his outrage at the denial of basic constitutional freedoms for young people in his solo, Free For All. Hear My Voice, the concluding piece, speaks to the future. We all have a message and a voice that deserves to be heard.

The Songs...
Growin’ Up
Hip-hop/Bebop. Biggie Smalls meets Thelonious Monk.

Well You Better Not
Instrumental based on Well You Needn’t

Free For All
Shuffle blues.

I Want to Be a Teacher
Instrumental based on Let’s Cool One.

Hear My Voice
Neil Young meets Mary J. Blige meets John Coltrane.

Visiting Artist, Jermaine Smith, from the St. Louis Opera, visits the cast of Message from Saturn and offers vocal training.

Copyright ©2005-2008 The Jazz Drama Program