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ANNOUNCEMENTS:
 On
March 1, 2009, Mikayla (age 15) became the youngest person in
history to write liner notes for
a jazz album, with the release of Ray Vanderby's CD Orange Not Blue.
The
following articles written by Mikayla have hit #1
on All About Jazz:
"Russel Blake: Transcending Expectations"
published March 17, 2009.
"Candy Dulfer: Prodigy Turned Pro"
published December 17, 2008.
"Nick Colionne: Making a Difference for the
Future" published November 19, 2008.
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Jazz
 Mikayla
Gilbreath is the sixteen year old Lead Alto Saxophonist for the award-
winning Deer
Valley Performance Jazz Ensemble. The DV Performance
Jazz Ensemble is widely considered to be one of the best high school
jazz
bands in America, and Gilbreath is genuinely proud to perform with this
group
of talented young musicians.
Gilbreath
first played a saxophone in September 2005, at age 12. Her
passion
for jazz grew from her exposure to the music of Sonny Rollins. In
November
2006, she had the great honor of meeting Mr. Rollins and playing her
music for
him. She now admits that having Sonny listen to her play was one of the
most
terrifying moments of her life! By merely showing an interest
in Gilbreath and
her music, this legendary jazz musician has created many opportunities
for
Mikayla and has instilled in her a genuine desire for personal
achievement.
Since
March 2007, Mikayla has been featured on SonnyRollins.com
as part of
"Meeting
Sonny - The Sonny Rollins Podcast - Episode 3."
In April 2007, Mikayla appeared on National Public
Radio where she participated in Jazz Journalists
Association President Howard Mandel's interview with Sonny entitled
"Saxophonist Sonny Rollins Still Swinging
Strong." Gilbreath is particularly proud
to note that Mr. Rollins is
referred to as her “mentor”
in that piece. And in the September 2007 issue of JazzTimes
Magazine, Mikayla was
featured in Nat Hentoff's article entitled "Bridging Generations,"
a piece which also deals with Sonny Rollins.
In August 2008, at age 15, Mikayla
was admitted to Glendale College where she studies Saxophone and Jazz
Improvisation.
Journalism
In
addition
to playing jazz, Gilbreath is also very interested in writing about it.
Howard
Mandel, President of the Jazz
Journalists Association, has been an unwavering
source of encouragement to
Gilbreath as a young writer. Without Mandel's assistance, becoming a
journalist would still be merely a dream for
Mikayla. Gilbreath is currently the youngest member of the
Jazz
Journalists Association - and she hopes that she is
fortunate enough to one day become the oldest!
Gilbreath
is also the youngest contributor to AllAboutJazz.com,
where she writes a column entitled
"Mikayla's Totally Jazzed."
All About Jazz has been named "Best Website on Jazz" by the
Jazz Journalists
Association, every year since 2002. Mikayla is very grateful to AAJ
Publisher Michael Ricci and AAJ Managing Editor
John Kelman for allowing her to be a part of the All About Jazz team.
(See complete
profile)
Comments
about Mikayla
• SONNY
ROLLINS applauded and exclaimed "ALRIGHT!
Very good. BRAVO! Very fine! ...Wow, that's
good. She's got talent! She's got talent!"
• CANDY
DULFER called Mikayla "supertalented"
and told her "You're better than I was at your age!"
• BENNY
GOLSON remarked "She just might
be on the road to becoming famous. I wish her well as she
sets out to vigorously ply the future.
My compliments."
• JIMMY
HEATH called Mikayla and her sister Briana "the
future of jazz."
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| • DR.
LONNIE SMITH also called Mikayla "the
future of Jazz" and told her "I'll
always be there for you!"
• DAVID
SANBORN commented "Wow, this girl
is on the inside. She really knows what she's talking about!"
• SLIDE
HAMPTON said "It's
an honor to see someone keeping the flame alive. Thank you,
Mikayla!
Keep up the fantastic work!"
• ALPHONSE
MOUZON declared "You are
awesome! You are extremely talented and intelligent beyond
your age! ...Bravo Mikayla on the impeccable
interview article you did on me! You are THE BEST!"
• NICK
COLIONNE stated "Mikayla, you are
the best. I am proud of you, keep up the great work."
• MARION
MEADOWS remarked "That is
fantastic!! Incredible for only playing 20 months!"
• JOE
LOVANO's agent, Tom Korkidis said "Quite
impressive for a young saxophonist to improvise at that
level after only playing for less than two years!"
• KEEP SWINGING jazz blog
in the Netherlands labeled Mikayla the "young US
Candy Dulfer."
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