Kent Engelhardt
Dr. Kent Engelhardt, a Youngstown native, makes his home in the city of Youngstown with his wife Dr. Beth Hargreaves. Kent graduated from Boardman High School in 1981 and continued his education at Youngstown State University. He graduated from YSU in 1986 with a Bachelor of Music degree (summa cum laude) in Performance (jazz studies/saxophone/clarinet). After graduation, Kent toured internationally with the "Tommy Dorsey Orchestra conducted by Buddy Morrow," where he was a featured soloist. While he was a member of the orchestra, Kent appeared in the PBS television special "Tommy Dorsey - Sentimental Gentleman of Swing." The special featured Mel Torme, Buddy Rich, Maureen McGovern, Jack Jones, the L.A. Voices, and the "Tommy Dorsey Orchestra."
In the Fall of 1991, Kent began teaching at YSU in the Jazz Studies Program as a member of its part-time faculty. He completed a Master of Music degree in Performance (clarinet) at YSU in the Fall of 1993. In 1994, Kent was hired at YSU as a full-time faculty member. His teaching responsibilities have included jazz ensemble, jazz combo, jazz fundamentals, jazz improvisation, jazz arranging, class jazz piano, jazz history, jazz methods, flute, clarinet, and saxophone. In 1999, Kent received a Master of Arts degree in Ethnomusicology from the University of Pittsburgh. In 2001, he was awarded the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Ethnomusicology from the University of Pittsburgh. He is a member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the Society for Ethnomusicology, and Jazz Education Network.
Kent is an active performer, composer, arranger, editor, scholar, author, and educator. His Charlie Parker research, including two books, is published by VDM, Oxford University Press, and the IAJE. His books “Charlie Parker, Culture, And Influences: Analysis Of His Solos With The Jay McShann Orchestra” and “Charlie Parker, Culture, And Influences: Analysis Of Selected Early Solos” are available on Amazon.com. Kent can be heard on recordings by Madd For Tadd, Paul Ferguson Jazz Orchestra, Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, Blossom Festival Band, Barbara Knight, and Helen Welch.
Kent has performed with some of the most well-known names in jazz including: Clark Terry, Louie Bellson, Buddy Rich, Jimmy Owens, Geri Allen, Duffy Jackson, Joe Lovano, Mel Torme, Tommy Flanagan, Maria Schneider, Tom Harrell, Ingrid Jensen, Billy Byers, Bob Brookmeyer, Terri Lyne Carrington, Milt Hinton, Alex Acuna, and Jiggs Whigham. Kent has also performed with some of the most well-known names in entertainment. His most recent performances were with Johnny Mathis, Marie Osmond, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, and Jukebox Saturday Night. Kent can also be seen performing with the Blossom Festival Band and The Cleveland Orchestra. He is a Conn-Selmer Artist.
Stephen Enos
Trumpeter, Stephen Enos, Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C)Jazz Studies, Director. Steve earned his Bachelor's Degree in Professional Music with a Jazz Performance Emphasis from the Berklee College of Music and his Master’s in Music Education from the University of Akron. He also directs the award winning Tri-C JazzFest High School All-Stars and Tri-C JazzFest Summer with the Jazz Master’s Program.
Steve is the Co-Director of the East Central Jazz Educators All Star Big Band aka Madd For Tadd. He is also a member of Swing City, Ernie Krivda’s Fat Tuesday Big Band and Omnibus Orchestra, Cleveland Jazz Orchestra and performs in the Playhouse Square Orchestra for their “Broadway Series”. At the Berklee College of Music he received the Lennie Johnson Memorial Scholarship Award and performed with the Boston famed, Herb Pomeroy Orchestra. He is a recipient of the 2021 Tri-C JazzFest “Cleveland Jazz Legend Award” for Excellence in Jazz Education and Performance.
He has performed with Aretha Franklin, The Four Tops, The Temptations, The Funk Brothers, Natalie Cole, Louis Bellson, Ed Shaughnessy, Clayton Brothers, Phil Woods, David Sanborn, Eric Marienthal, Mulgrew Miller, Ted Nash, Nick Brignola, Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Burrell, Marcus Belgrave, Sean Jones, Dominick Farinacci, David “Fathead” Newman, Buddy DeFranco, Geri Allen, Terence Blanchard, Rebecca Parris, Joe Lovano, Little Jimmy Scott, Benny Golson, Tommy Flanagan, Mulgrew Miller, Wayne Bergeron, John Fedchock, Bruce Johnstone, Bobby Shew, Howard Johnson, Benny Golson, Ndugu Chancler, Dave Grusin, Mike LeDonne, Bobby Watson, Christian McBride, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Johnny Mathis, Dennis Rowland, Gregory Hines, Bernadette Peters, Manhattan Transfer, New York Voices, Al Martino, Barry Manilow, Freddy Cole, Ernie Andrews, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Little Anthony and the Imperials, The Grass Roots, Bob Newhart, Regis Philbin, Sid Caesar, Milton Berle, Henny Youngman, and others.
Under his direction, the Tri-C Jazz Studies Program is a nationally recognized music program with articulation agreements with both the Berklee College of Music in Boston, and the Jackie McLean Jazz Institute at the Hartt School of Music in Hartford, Connecticut.
Stephen Enos is a recipient of the Cleveland JazzFest “Cleveland Jazz Legend Award” 2021 and is a Yamaha Artist.