About Clarence Acox, Jr.

Clarence Acox, Jr. is a familiar figure in the Seattle, Washington music scene. The award-winning band director is a native of New Orleans, and has been heard in a variety of settings in the Northwest. He is Director of Jazz Bands at Garfield High School,[1] where he has been encouraging young musicians since arriving from Southern University in New Orleans in 1971, initially hired to rejuvenate the school\s marching bands.[2][3] Under his tutelage since 1979, the Garfield Jazz Ensemble has won every major competition on the West Coast, including competitions in Nevada, California, Oregon, Idaho, and Washington.[2] The Jazz Ensemble has made eight European tours, performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands, the Vienne Jazz Festival in France, and the Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy, as well as many concerts in Paris, and