Charlie and Dizzy are young composers who discover the world of Duke and the Jazz Cats.  They learn about jazz from Duke, but this gets the attention of their taskmasters, the Dough Heads, and puts the annual Jazz Fest in danger.  Dizzy is forced to go back to save the festival.

Once a collaborator of Duke’s, Roots regrets making his children directors of the Muzak and Automated Music Company.  After seeing that Dizzy was sad, Roots helps them escape and cuts his own ties with MAMCo. Once Dizzy and Roots are back with the others, Jazz Fest is saved.

Groove is a musical theatre piece that teaches a young audience the concepts, principles, and features of the jazz music idiom, and about popular music thereafter. The audience should understand that jazz is not just a style of music, but rather a whole discipline.  Groove's script is based on jazz history, modern music genres, and a fun narrative.  This piece can also teach an aspect of American history through the uniquely American art form of jazz.

As a school teacher, Richard Clarke is passionate about teaching his audience the general music principles found in any American music classroom.  For example, the musical elements of pitch, duration, tempo, and dynamics; the musical materials of melody, rhythm, harmony, and counterpoint; as well as other music theory categories through varied styles, character traits, and dialogue.  Groove is meant to entertain, teach, and encourage young musicians to invent, improvise, and compose - like all good jazz musicians do!

Jazz is not a style!  Jazz is a verb, play, not grown-up.  Jazz is a world unto itself, of many styles, genres, and traditions.  Jazz is an American cultural marvel!