An opening keynote is a tough gig. It’s supposed to set the tone for the conference that follows, entertain more than educate, draw attendees who might be on the fence and get people buzzing after the session is over. Tom Sancton filled the bill nicely, providing one of the very best IABC opening keynotes since Maya Angelou took the stage back in Boston several years ago. Sancton is a former Paris bureau chief for Time Magazine, an author, a New Orleans native, and a renowned jazz clarinetest. On stage, he was joined by the Clive Wilson Jazz Quartet, which helped Sancton illustrate the similarities between corporate communication and jazz music, addressing such issues as teamwork, leadership, and others.  You can hear my interview with Tom for IABC’s ConferenceCast here.

Sancton also related the tale of his tutelage under the black masters of jazz at Preservation Hall in the 1950s and 60s and the role the city, the culture, and the music played in his life. It was a helluva way to kick off the New Orelans conference.

After the sesson, Tom and the Quartet stayed on stage for one number, most of which I captured here:

To follow that up, Paul Prudhhome cooked on stage for the Monday Lunch & Learn, with a taste for all 1,000 who chose to attend the session. So far, so very, very good, IABC!