Beginning in 1992, Noel Freidline continues to lead an acoustic jazz band with vocals, firmly rooted in the jazz tradition.
They have developed a signature sound built upon the innovative writing and arranging of Noel Freidline and powered by masterful musicianship and an infectious enthusiasm for the music. Very fresh, very creative, and very exciting.
The Noel Freidline Quintet has successfully embraced the challenge of art vs. entertainment, with one foot firmly planted in each camp, combining a high level of musicality with a strong sense of performance
There is no one "star" in this seasoned ensemble, they are a band in the true sense of the word. Each member is constantly injecting musical ideas into the mix, creating a sound that is paradoxically very structured yet very fluid.
"You won't find another band that swings as hard as the Noel Freidline Quintet. Their exhuberant set flows through fresh interpretations of mainstream jazz standards, blues and pop tunes so effortlessly that audiences not only are left tapping their toes, but standing and cheering for more. That’s one reason why this immensely talented ensemble has built up a following that returns night after night."
- Vic DiGenti, eight-year executive producer, Jacksonville Jazz Festival
The
Noel Freidline Quintet's most recent release is a special Sacred Jazz project
CD entitled “Carry Me Home.” Released in June 2003, this special
CD features NFQ arrangements of sacred music including hymns and spirituals. The Noel Freidline Quintet's national debut release is a double CD entitled "Four Nights at the Slammer." Recorded at the home of Penn Jillette ("Penn & Teller") and released in February, 2002, "Four Nights at the Slammer" spent ten weeks on the national jazz radio Top 50 charts, peaking at #31. The NFQ's previous albums include: "One for Maxcene" in '94, "The Stranger is Me," in '96, a Christmas CD entitled "Noël" in 1999, and a half CD, "CD 2000" in 2000.
In September, 2001, the band finished up a three year engagement at Las
Vegas' most
exclusive hotel and casino, The Bellagio. In September, 2002,
the Noel Freidline Quintet was presented with the "Rising Star Award" of
Las Vegas, as the top up-and-coming group in the city.
The members of the Noel Freidline Quintet are experienced educators and clinicians and firmly believe that to keep something you have to give it away. As clinicians they have spread their wealth of knowledge and experience from the University of North Florida to an artist-in-residency program at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. They have developed several series of educational programs, ranging from interactive presentations for school-age children, to lecture/concerts for collegiate and community audiences, to workshops for fine arts performers and clinics and workshops specifically geared toward musicians.Noel Freidline has appeared at:
The NorthSea Jazz Festival
The Hague, The Netherlands
The Montreux Jazz Festival
Switzerland
Brissago Jazz Festival
Brissago, Switzerland
The Jacksonville Jazz Festival
Jacksonville, FL (five appearances)
The Clearwater Jazz Holiday
Clearwater, FL (two appearances)
The Riverbend Festival
Chattanooga, TN
The Sarasota Jazz Festival
Sarasota, FL (two appearances)
The Nashville Summer Lights Festival
Nashville, TN
SpringFest
Charlotte, NC
LakeFest
Charlotte, NC
The Worth Avenue Jazz Festival
Palm Beach, FL
The Coconut Grove Arts Festival
Coconut Grove, FL
Clematis by Night
West Palm Beach, FL
The Panama City Jazz Festival
Panama City, FL
Musikfest
Bethlehem, PA
City Verve Jazz & Heritage Festival
Charlotte, NC
Cullowhee Arts Fest
Cullowhee, NC
Concert Appearances:
Hilton Head Jazz Society
Hilton Head Is., SC (five appearances)
Palm Beach Four Seasons Ocean Grand Concert Series
(five appearances)
Gold Coast Jazz Society
Ft. Lauderdale, FL (three appearances)
Florida Theatre
Jacksonville, FL (two appearances)
Naples Jazz Society
Naples, FL (five appearances)
Savannah Coastal Jazz Association
Savannah, GA (two appearances)
Hollywood Friends of Jazz
Hollywood, FL (two appearances)
JAMS, Palm Beach Jazz Society
West Palm Beach, FL (four appearances)
Macon Jazz Association
Macon, GA
Charlotte County Jazz Society
Port Charlotte, FL (three appearances)
Clematis St. Theatre
West Palm Beach, FL (two appearances)
The Ritz Theatre
Jacksonville, FL (two appearances)
ORCA
Vidalia, GA
St. Augustine Jazz Society
St. Augustine, FL
Gainesville Friends of Jazz
Gainesville, FL (two appearances)
Jazz Club of Sarasota
Sarasota, FL
Treasure Coast Jazz Society
Vero Beach, FL
Las Vegas Jazz Society
Las Vegas, NV
Big Arts Concert Series
Sanibel Is., FL
Blowing Rock Jazz Society
Blowing Rock, NC (two appearances)
Diana Wortham Theatre
Asheville, NC
Arts United for Davidson County
Lexington, NC
Times-Union Center, Jacoby Hall
Jacksonville, FL
Their club appearances are too numerous to mention, but do include regular shows at:
The Bellagio Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV
Walt Disney's exclusive Pleasure Island Jazz Company
Heidi's Jazz Club, Cocoa Beach, FL
The Jazz Corner, Hilton Head Island, SC
The Van Dyke Café, Miami Beach, FL
Churchill Grounds, Atlanta, GA
And their New York debut in February 2000 at the legendary Birdland, sharing the bill with vocalist Gloria Lynne.
Church appearances:
Central Christian Church, Las Vegas, NV
Palms Presbyterian Church, Jacksonville Beach, FL
Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church, Jacksonville, FL
Church by the Sea, St. Petersburg Beach, FL
Neptune Baptist Church, Neptune Beach, FL
Riverside Presbyterian Church, Jacksonville, FL
St. Francis In The Field Episcopal Church, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
First Baptist Church, Decatur, GA
Park Road Baptist Church, Charlotte, NC
Temple Ahavath Chesed, Jacksonville, FL
Evangelical Free Church, Clearwater, KS
Lutheran Social Services, Jacoby Hall, Times-Union Center, Jacksonville, FL
United Methodist Church, Orange Park, FL
Mecklenburg Community Church, Charlotte, NC
School concerts and educational presentations:
University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL
Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, Artist in Residency, St. Augustine, FL
Basic High School, Las Vegas, NV
Hilton Head Middle and High School, Hilton Head Island, SC
Brigham Young University, Salt Lake City, UT
Florida Community College Jacksonville, all four campuses
Lake Norman High School, Mooresville, NC
Independance Hill Preschool, Charlotte, NC
Blythe Elementary School, Huntersville, NC
Clearwater High, Middle and Elementary School, Clearwater KS
Episcopal High School, Jacksonville, FL
Friends University, Wichita, KS
Rappahannock Community College, Warsaw, VA
Miami-Dade Community College, Miami, FL
Holy Family Catholic School, Jacksonville, FL
"Giving the Audience something that they have heard,
but that they have never heard before."
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