Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Honors Jazz Legend Stanley Clarke, Four Student Musicians Receive Scholarships At BroadStage Gala

Under the iconic fig tree at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica, California on November 15, a dedicated community of art and culture lovers gathered for an unforgettable gala at the most anticipated event of the year for BroadStage Santa Monica, a contemporary performing arts presenting organization.

Patrons, board members and friends came together united in a passion for the arts to celebrate Artist Residency in jazz and to honor the legendary Stanley Clarke with the inaugural BroadStage Trailblazer Award.

The evening featured music by Santa Monica College alumni from the Artist Residency program, followed by heartfelt tributes by NBA champion and jazz enthusiast Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and jazz fusion drummer Lenny White, and a breathtaking performance by pianist Hiromi, who was then joined by Stanley Clarke on bass-an unforgettable highlight of the night.

In a heartwarming gesture that exemplified his commitment to the next generation of jazz musicians, Stanley Clarke presented four generous scholarships to students from Santa Monica College and Santa Monica High School-all of whom he has personally mentored throughout his time as Artist in Residence at BroadStage Santa Monica.

The Stanley Clarke 2024 scholarship recipients are

• Saxophonist Cameron Ravare who was mentored by Stanley Clarke when he was a student at Santa Monica High School. Today, Ravare is a freshman at Santa Monica College (SMC) studying early childhood education and performing as a member of the SMC Jazz Ensemble.

• Bassist Grayson Fitzgerald, a Santa Monica High School student, who performs as a member of the Samohi Jazz Ensemble. He has been inspired by musicians such as Paul Chambers, Ray Brown, Jaco Pastorius, Julian Lage and Chet Baker.

• Trumpet player Aoi Kuroha, a student at Santa Monica College (SMC) and currently studying in the SMC Applied Music Program, was born in Ibaraki, Japan, and began her musical journey with classical piano at a young age.

• Trombonist Ethan Clark worked with Stanely Clarke as a student at Santa Monica High School last year and is currently a student at New York University where he plays in the wind ensemble, orchestra, brass choir, brass quintet and will participate in the jazz band next semester.

The Gala was more than just a celebration; it marked the beginning of an exciting chapter for the nonprofit organization to build a future together. Inspirational words were shared by Rob Bailis, Artistic and Executive Director, BroadStage Santa Monica, about building towards a transformative vision-a world-class jazz festival in the heart of the vibrant city of Santa Monica, curated by Stanley Clarke.

The evening ended with a paddle raise that brought this vision to life, raising a transformative $318,000, which will have a lasting impact on the organization and its future.

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