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As the Artistic Director of the Arkansas “Jazz on the Levee” Helena Arts Festival, Rev. Ronald V. Myers, Sr., M.D., minister, physician and jazz musician, works to keep the state’s rich jazz legacy alive in the Arkansas Delta.
Best known for the blues, Fort Smith area physician and accomplished jazz trumpeter andpianist, continues to make jazz a household name in the Arkansas Delta.
“The Arkansas Delta has a rich jazz legacy,” states Dr. Myers.
“One of the greatest jazz saxophonist in the history of jazz, Red Holloway, was born in Helena, Ark. and still performs throughout the world,” Myers said.
“Now that the Walnut Street Works community organization has established this wonderful event, Arkansas’s rich jazz legacy will continue to be celebrated in the delta every year,” Myers said.
Born in Chicago in 1956 and raised in Milwaukee, Myers career as a jazz musician was greatly influenced by performing with the legendary jazz saxophonist Sonny Stitt as a 16 year old high school student. “Performing with Stitt was a pivotal experience for me as a young musician,” states Myers. “I knew thenthat I wanted to be a jazz musician.”
Myers, while still in high school, had the opportunity to perform for one of the masters of jazz trumpet, Donald Byrd. “I thank my high school jazz band director,
George Andrews, and music instructor, Anderson White, for providing me with so many unique jazz opportunities, such as performing with Sonny Stitt and for Donald Byrd,” states Myers. “They really encouraged me to develop my music talents, which is why I work so hard to encourage young people I meet to develop theirs.”
While completing his pre-medicine studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Myers met his true music mentor, the late Professor Jimmy Cheatham, formerly with the Duke Ellington and Count Bassie orchestras.
“Jimmy taught me the basics of jazz improvisation and composition,” Myers said. “I know I wouldn’t be performing with the intensity that I do today, were it not for
Jimmy sharing his invaluable wisdom about life and jazz music.”
While completing his residency in family medicine at L.S.U. Medical Center, Charity Hospital, in Baton Rouge, Bogalusa and New Orleans, La., Myers met his true jazz artistic mentor, the late legendary jazz clarinetist Alvin Baptiste. “It was a great experience to play piano with the Alvin Baptist quartet,” Myers said.
“Alvin introduced me to Ellis Marsalis, and I also ended up playing with him in New Orleans.”
Myers performed with other notable New Orleans jazz musicians including bassist Walter Peyton, tenor saxophonist Victor Goines and alto saxophonist Wes Anderson. It was through this music apprenticeship with Alvin Baptiste that Myers was given the opportunity headline his own group at Snug Harbor, a top New Orleans jazz showcase.
Myers performed with the former jazz drummer for Sun Ra’s Orchestra, Aye Aton, vibraphonist Charles Allen and bassist Harry Anderson. This group of talented musicians lead by Myers gave him a unique improvisational spiritual
sound that he is known for in jazz circles today. Myers’ stellar performances at Snug Harbor lead to being featured in the 1988 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, as an up and coming young jazz star.
Myers soon released his critically acclaimed CD, with all original music, composed and arranged by Myers, “Doctor’s Orders”.
Noted jazz critic Williard Jenkins, who frequently reviews jazz recordings for Down Beat and Jazz Times magazines, called the recording “one of the most important recordings in the last ten years.”
Featuring original jazz compositions like “Song For Tchula”, “Blues For Tchula” and “Message From the Country”, Myers CD has brought attention to the areas great jazz legacy.
“Myers artistic contributions have made the Arkansas Delta better known for jazz and not just the blues,” Helena native Naomi Cottoms said. “I really enjoy his music!”
Upon completion of his residency in family medicine in 1988, Myers became the first ordained and commissioned Baptist medical missionary serving the medical needs of the poor in the Delta area in the history of the black church in America in 1990.
Myers has been providing health care in the Fort Smith, Arkansas area since 2001, where he founded the American Pain Institute (API) and fought for legislation to support the treatment of Arkansas chronic pain sufferers.
“My father was born in Van Buren, Arkansas while my grandfather was the pastor of a local Methodist church,” Myers said. “Arkansas is my American ancestral home!”
Myers began performing regularly with Fort Smith jazz saxophonist Bobby Vann, the late jazz drummer Daniel “Sye” Stephenson and the late jazz pianist and local pastor Rev. Mookie Black at the Varsity Sports Grill.
“I really enjoyed playing with Mookie, Sye and Bobby,” Myers said. “I felt I was honoring my father, a jazz singer, who was born so close in Van Buren.”
Myers was appointed the artistic director for the Arkansas “Jazz on the Levee” Helena Arts Festival in 2007.
As the National Juneteenth Jazz Artist, Myers performs at Juneteenth Jazz Festivals in Kansas City, Missouri and Omaha, Nebraska promoting “Juneteenth Jazz”, a celebration of our rich African-American jazz legacy during June, Black Music Month.
Myers, Founder & Director of the Fellowship of Creative Christian Jazz Musicians (FCCJM), is also an ordained Baptist Minister. Directing and performing at jazz worship services in churches across America, Myers served as Chaplain for the Black
Jazz Music Caucus (BJMC) of the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) from 1990 - 2000. As chaplain, Myers lead and performed in unique jazz worship services, giving praise to God through improvisational worship music at IAJE conventions throughout the country.
“Like the Psalmist David, in Amos 6:5, who praised God through improvisation worship, I love to praise God through jazz,” states Rev. Myers. “The psalmist says in Psalms 150, ‘Let everything that has breath Praise the Lord!’”
Don’t miss the next stellar performance of Dr. Ron Myers. It will be just what the doctor ordered!
For more information on Ron Myers and the Arkansas “Jazz on the Levee” Helena Arts Festival, the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF) and the Fellowship of Creative Christian Jazz Musicians (FCCJM), go to the web sites: www.JazzArkansas.com, www.JuneteenthJazz.com and www.ChristianJazz.net.