KEEPERS OF THE FLAME
MEET THE BAND
KEEPERS OF THE FLAME is a fitting name for a six- piece ensemble dedicated to keeping alive the spirit of the past and present masters of jazz. Through its expansive repertoire, the group revives long-forgotten compositions of the great names in the music: Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan, Hank Mobley, among others. The group's collective style runs the gamut of jazz history from swing to bop to hard bop to blues and funk. Several members of the group double as composers.
We are a Wilmington, DE -based group that has also worked under the name Infinity. We specialize in music of the Bebop / Hard bop (or "Blue Note") eras. Some members of the group belong to the Delaware Jazz Alliance (DJA).
LARRY WILLIAMS
// saxophone
A native of Wilmington, DE. , Larry began playing clarinet at age 9; took up saxophone at 14. He studied woodwind and jazz techniques with Robert "Boysie" Lowery and Hal Schiff, and composition with Mildred McGowan and William Young. Larry has worked as a saxophonist/arranger for many local bands. He is currently working in two jazz ensembles, Keepers of the Flame and Jazspir. He is also co-host of "Clifford's Corner" on WVUD 91.3 FM on the last two Saturdays of each month. Larry is a reknowned record collector, composer, arranger, and historian.
DENNIS FORTUNE
// piano
Dennis Fortune, adjunct professor of music at Drexel University, has been teaching and performing in the Philadelphia area for over 40 years. He holds a B.A. degree in music and sociology from Dickinson College and is currently the musical director for the groups FVC and The Jenkins Project. He has traveled extensively throughout the U.S. and the world performing with such artists as Esther Satterfield, Jean Carne, Donald Byrd, Billy Paul , Norman Connors, and numerous others. He is the recipient of the Delaware Division of the Arts Fellowship for jazz composition. He currently has released five CD’s and produced projects for many other artists. He composed the music for the WHYY television special “Four Presidents the Great American Clean Up” and the Delaware production of “The Four Poster” staring Jasmine Guy and Keith David.
Christina Cultural Arts Center awards an annual scholarship “The Dennis Fortune Scholarship for Musical Excellence” to a deserving student studying jazz piano.
FARID MAJEED
// trumpet and cornet
Farid Majeed is a native of Wilmington, De. He began playing trumpet early in the Wilmington, school district. Shortly after high school, he began his studies under the tutelage of Boysie Lowery, He performed with the Boysie Lowery big band for three years. Studied at the Settlement School of music in Philadelphia, PA. Worked with many local musicians in the surrounding Delaware area. Currently a member of the group Keepers of the Flame, a six piece straight ahead jazz ensemble, also a member of the newly formed organization, Delaware Jazz Alliance,a local non – profit organization seeking to unite, empower, support and promote live jazz performance in our community.
ED DAWLEY
// bass
Ed (Armistead) Dawley hails from Norfolk, Va., where he first had musical instruction on piano at the age of eight. One year before embarking on a European sojourn that was to last 16 years, Ed began his study of the acoustic bass. While studying with bassists Santi Debriano and Curtis Lundy, Ed became a local on the Paris, France musical scene, playing with such notables as Bobby Few, Joe Lee Wilson and Mra Oma. In 1983, Ed held the bass chair during a one-month gig in Casablanca, Morocco with saxophonist T. K. Blue. In 1992, he played the Pori, Finland Jazz Festival with Yusef Lateef.
Since 1996, Ed has resided in Dover, Delaware. Since moving here, he has worked regularly with many jazz groups in the region. He has been a member of the Delaware Jazz Alliance since 2015.
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PERRY WILLIAMS
// saxophones
Perry Williams is an accomplished practitioner of the Saxophones. His poignant, diverse, and unique sound is heavily influenced by the trailblazers of bebop, blues and soul. His work includes, but is not limited to, leading big band saxophone sections, performing, recording and creating with notable artists from West Virgina to Delaware. He is currently performing multi genre works with Wilmington's own
"Keepeer's of the Flame".