Magic City Jazz Orchestra Lawler, trombonist Charlie Ard, saxophonist Neil McLean, arranger Steve Sample, Sr and pianist Ray Reach. SuperJazz has spawned a number of spin-off groups, such as the Night Flight Big Band and the Magic City Jazz Orchestra. In 1998, Ray Reach, then director of the UAB Jazz Ensemble and founding director of the Magic City Jazz Orchestra, contacted New York saxophonist Lou Marini in order to hire him to be guest artist and clinician for the annual "Weekend of Jazz" festival at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Mr. Marini subsequently came to Birmingham, where he conducted jazz workshops and
Charlie Jazz Festival beginning, the festival has hosted world-renowned artists and groups such as Didier Levallet, Daniel Humair, Chris Potter, Christian Escoudé, Aldo Romano, Paolo Fresu, Bojan Z, Archie Shepp, Elisabeth Kontomanou, Raphaël Imbert, David Linx, Diederik Wissels, Michel Portal, Louis Sclavis, The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Richard Galliano, The Vienna Art Orchestra, Carla Bley, Henri Texier, and dozens of other top names in jazz music. Charlie Jazz Festival The Charlie Jazz Festival is an annual music festival held every summer in Vitrolles, Provence, France. It was established in 1998 by "Charlie Free", a not-for-profit jazz organization which runs jazz sessions every two