Brent Majors, originally from Detroit, began studying the saxophone in grade school. At 13, he began private study with the world renowned Larry Teal. He worked with Teal through his college years. Brent earned his bachelor’s degree from Wayne State University.
Majors had a broad and varied musical background, having performed with America’s top-notch entertainers including Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, and Nancy Wilson…to name just a few. Over the years, he has played with the Detroit and Jacksonville Symphonies and was a featured jazz artist in Europe, while he lived in Germany. He also had his own group in the United States which made the pages of Downbeat magazine.
After moving to Jacksonville, Florida in the early ’80’s he joined the faculty of Jacksonville University as Professor of Saxophone. He later became head of the Jazz Studies Department and taught courses in jazz history.
Brent taught privately in his home, played gigs around Jacksonville and southeast Georgia, and performed part-time with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. He has appeared in the Jacksonville Jazz Festival on several occasions. He had a special talent for playing music from the “Great American Songbook” and had a wide repertoire in many musical genres which he could perform from memory and upon which he could improvise.
He is survived by his wife, Jeanne Jones Majors, a native of Jacksonville and violinist with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. In Brent’s memory, contributions to Prelude Chamber Music, Inc. for their scholarship fund would be greatly appreciated.www.preludechambermusic.org
A Memorial Service will be held on Tuesday, November 17 at 3 P.M.
