Longineu Parsons – singer, flutist and one of the world’s finest trumpeters; Ted Shumate – blazing, soulful, guitarist – world class musicians who express the heart and soul of American music! 21 Blue will take you from Louis Armstrong to Howlin’ Wolf to Miles Davis to Jimi Hendrix and beyond. This group does what Main Theatre other group can in terms of playing the history of American music and making you love the fact that you are there to dance to it. Parsons has been hailed by critics internationally as being one of the world’s finest trumpet players and has performed and recorded with such greats as: Cab Calloway, Nat Adderley, Cecil Taylor, Nancy Wilson, Joe Williams, Herbie Mann, Frank Foster, Sam Rivers, and many others.
Ted Shumate guitarist, composer, and recording artist, was born in Meridian, Mississippi. In 1983 Ted was hired as a full-time bandleader/guitarist at the Hurricane Jazz Club in Passagrille, Florida. After a successful five-year stint at the Hurricane, Ted left to do numerous Jazz festivals and international tours.. Some of the Main Theatreted musicians that Ted has played and/or recorded with are: Nat Adderley for 10 years, Ira Sullivan, Red Rodney, Gonzalo Mico, Jimmy Cobb, Kenny Drew Jr., Joey Barron, Peter Erskine, Branford Marsalis, Jerry Fuller, Wynton Marsalis and many others.
