| JazzAmerica 2008 Summer WorkChops! |
Auditions & First Rehearsal:
Saturday, May 31
10 am to 12:30 pm, at the
MUSICIANS ' UNION
817 N. Vine St., Hollywood, CA 90038
(for more info, write UFOBASS@aol.com)
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JazzAmerica seeks young musicians for weekly rehearsals and summertime performances
With your help, we can determine how many new students we'll have this summer.
If you want to join us, JazzAmerica invites you to write us an e-mail introducing yourself:
--your name, age and instrument
--how long you've been playing your instrument
--who are several of your favorite jazz musicians?
--are you willing to commit to rehearsals with us most Saturday mornings until September 1?
--do you know now of personal or family commitments that will make you unavailable to JazzAmerica? for how long?
--do you promise to Practice the material we give you, and to bring the music with you each week?
Please send your answers to: UFOBASS@aol.com
Thank you.
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JazzAmerica Fund Raiser June 11
featuring
Buddy Collette Big Band + Ernie Andrews
Continuing their long association, Catalina Bar & Grill and Buddy Collette will re-unite on Wednesday evening, June 11.
Beginning at 8 pm, the Buddy Collette Big Band will present a program of Buddy's original material, performed by some of the top jazz artists in Los Angeles.
Joining the band is another "legend of Central Avenue," vocalist Ernie Andrews.
JazzAmerica needs additional funding to continue to provide tuition-free jazz instruction to young people. Since 1994, JazzAmerica has brought together hundreds of talented youngsters, tutored them on music fundamentals in general and jazz in particular, and presented youth bands in concerts at schools, seniors' centers, and jazz festivals.
For further information about the June 11 fund raiser, please follow the link below:
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JazzAmerica celebrated "Jazz Appreciation Month"
We held our JAM celebration on
Sunday, April 13 @ Catalina Bar & Grill in Hollywood
with
The Fairfax Young Lions afterschool jazz band
and
The Swingtet, an all-city JazzAmerica combo
plus
Plas Johnson and his all-stars, with Llew Matthews and Harold Mason
Thank you to all our young musicians,
parents, fans, and supporters
for helping make this a memorable day!
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What's It All About?
JazzAmerica is a non-profit organization established in 1994 for the purpose of perpetuating the jazz tradition.
Co-founded by jazz legend Buddy Collette, we provide tuition-free instruction in musicianship, ensemble playing, sight-reading, soloing and music theory. These studies culminate in a series of public performances including at least one major jazz festival.
Our students range in age from 11 to 20.
Our faculty is small in number, but strong on experience and skill in developing young talent.
To make the most of their JazzAmerica experience, we strongly encourage students to take private lessons.
To play in our band requires some proficiency--we need you to
--play with good tone and intonation,
--know the major and minor scales,
--read music, and
--practice at least a little every day.
We presume that you have an active interest in jazz--you play in a jazz band, you listen to recorded jazz, and you know something about Duke Ellington, Count Basie and the 12-measure form of the blues.
Our annual challenge is to build a new jazz ensemble. Typically about one-third of last year's students return. We begin in mid-May and end the first weekend of September (Labor Day).
Over the years we have helped nurture some of the finest young talent in the West, including several students who have won Spotlight Awards or Presidential Scholarships to Berklee School of Music.
As much as we hope to stimulate individual growth and musicianship, we build a new band (or two) each year with a strong emphasis on playing as part of an ensemble. Jazz offers countless examples of the thrilling possibilities that can be realized when cooperative-minded individuals combine to develop as groups.
* * *
Requirements include:
--ability to play major and minor scales
--ability to read music of moderate difficulty
--interest in learning about the jazz tradition (as played/recorded prior to 1960)
--willingness to commit to regular attendance on Saturday morning rehearsals in Hollywood
(several absences over the course of the summer are understandble and excusable)
Our instructors* prepare music that reflects the jazz tradition and challenges students to reach beyond their current capabilities.
Parents sign up for a "Bagel Brigade" and take turns supplying snacks to the 20 to 30 students at break time.
Classes run for two and a half hours in a safe, supervised and respectful atmosphere.
We rehearse as a group, and we urge that students commit to regular attendance and to private practice during the week.
And then...
It all comes together in a number of public performances over the course of the summer, highlighted by appearances at three jazz festivals! (details below).
*JazzAmerica faculty now includes:
--Roger Neumann - big-band leader, saxophonist, arranger, clinician with a national reputation
--John Stephens - bandleader, saxophonist, arranger for Benny Carter & Buddy Collette, teacher
--Dan Barrett - poll-winning trombonist, "early jazz" expert, arranger, recording artist
--Christopher Dawson, Rich Eames & Ed Czach - "adjunct instructors," pianists, recording artists
--Jack LeCompte, David Pittel and Otto Granillo - instructors in our Fairfax high after-school program
guest instructors/clinicians:
Terry Gibbs
Buddy Collette
Gerald Wilson
Alan Vache
Mark Shane
Pete Desiena
Les Benedict
Llew Matthews
---for further information, please e-mail: info@jazzamerica.org
or
contact Program Director Richard Simon at UFOBASS@aol.com
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JazzAmerica in the Lions' Den!
after-school jazz instruction comes to Farifax High School.
JazzAmerica, partnering with the Beyond the Bell foundation and LACER, is now teaching jazz on Monday and Wednesday afternoons on the campus, located at the intersection of Fairfax and Melrose avenues.
While some of the students are enrolled in band or orchestra during the day, other aspiring jazz students of Fairfax high school are taking part as well.
"Right now, we're still in 'marching band mode,'" says Ray Vizcarra, the popular and dynamic music instructor of the Lions marching band. "But once these competitions are finished, we want to see our band students, and others not currently in band, take advantage of this new jazz program."
Instruction is being offered in trumpet (by instructor David Pittel), trombone (by Otto Granillo), woodwinds (by John Stephens), percussion (by Jack LeCompte) and bass (by Richard Simon).
JazzAmerica and LACER have been frequent partners in after-school instruction since 1995. Starting at LeConte middle school, their collaborative efforts then spread to Bancroft and Washington Irving middle schools. "We're excited about this new venture into the high schools," says LACER Executive Director Linda Ortiz. "We're delighted to see some of our former middle school students now at Fairfax in the new after-school programs here."
Bassist Simon, who doubles as JazzAmerica's Program Director, sees an extra benefit in the new program: "We have conducted summertime Saturday jazz workshops since our inception in 1994," he says. "Now we'll have a new crop of jazz students from Fairfax to strengthen the summer band."
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proudly presenting...
JazzAmerica: 14 Years of Tuition-Free Jazz Instruction!
As we look back on our concert series of 2007, let's take a moment to salute the co-founder of JazzAmerica, Buddy Collette.
Buddy is a world-renowned, highly-respected musician, civil rights activist and educator:
* he has performed on hundreds of recordings, movie sound tracks and concert stages worldwide
* he was the first black musician to perform on national television, and he helped bring about the amalgamation of the segregated black and white musicians' unions
* he has dedicated his life to sharing his musical knowledge--whether it meant leading a band while serving in the Air Force, teaching at numerous colleges an universities, or tutoring Eric Dolphy, James Newton and scores of others
JazzAmerica began with Buddy instituting an after-school music program at LeConte middle school, where there had been no music instruction for nine years. With the volunteer help of long-time colleagues including Jackie Kelso, John Stephens, Fritz Wise and Richard Simon, Buddy saw to it that old instruments were repaired or replaced, and a new music program was established, eventually spreading to Washington Irving and Bancroft middle schools as well.
Then Buddy launched the Saturday program for high school students. The original faculty included the late trumpeter Bobby Bryant, pianist Gerald Wiggins, trombonist George Bohanon, and percussionist Ndugu Chancler. More than ninety students from all over Los Angeles took part.
Over the years, this program has built a reputation for enhancing the skills of many young musicians. JazzAmerica alumni often go on to attend Cal Arts, Berklee College of Music, and the Manhattan School of Music, and some have already become established as professional musicians.
We pledge to uphold Buddy Collette's commitment to nurturing talent in an atmosphere that combines hard work, mutual respect...and fun!
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JazzAmerica's Season-Ender is Sweet & Hot
After impressing the fans in Irvine on the last Friday in August, JA ended its season with a set at LA's other major cultural event during Labor Day Weekend: the Sweet & Hot Jazz Festival.
Producer Wally Holmes and philanthropist Barrett O'Hara are staunch supporters of JazzAmerica. We salute them and their tireless efforts to keep "traditional" jazz alive for a new generation.
Guest artists included Eddie Higgins, Herb Jeffries, Dan Barrett, Howard Alden, Jake Hanna, and dozens more.
For information on this exceptional festival, please visit: www.SweetHot.org.
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WestCoast Jazz Party Fun...and Funds!
JazzAmerica inspires the producer & the fans at the West Coast Jazz Party
To the cheers and applause of the audience during the JazzAmerica set, Producer Joe Rothman turned The Irvine Marriott into a spontaneous fundraiser for JazzAmerica last August 31.
Along with hosting hosting the 13th annual West Coast Jazz Party, Joe renewed his commitment to jazz education by donating $1,000 himself, and then urging the capacity crowd to follow his lead. Nearly $4,000 was donated, and more checks still arriving weekly from just that single performance.
JazzAmerica salutes Joe Rothman, his partner John McClure, and all the wonderful individuals who cheered our youngsters and made donations to "the cause"of continuing jazz education.
This world-class festival also featured James Moody, Tamir Hendelman, Harry Allen, Ken Peplowski, and the trumpet world's remarkable Byron Stripling, who guested as soloist and section player during the JA set.
For more info on this and future Joe Rothman events, please call 949.759.5003 or visit westcoastjazzparty.com
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JazzAmerica Conquers Central Avenue!
JazzAmerica's Big Band dazzles the crowd at this year's Central Avenue Jazz Festival
On Sunday, July 29th, 33 young JazzAmerica musicians "played tribute" to the Duke & the Count in a swinging, one-hour set. Co-founder Buddy Collette was in attendance, and received a standing ovation from his home-town fans.
Across the street from the historic Dunbar Hotel, the home-away-from-home for Duke Ellington and Count Basie during the heday of jazz, this rousing ensemble, conducted by Roger Neumann and John Stephens, kept the crowd enthralled from the opener, "Moten Swing," to the closer, a Benny Carter tune called "Only Trust Your Heart."
We thank the Dunbar Economic Development Corporation, Reginald Chappel, Michael Dolphin, Councilperson Jan Perry, Jose Rizo, and everyone else connected to the event for their support and encouragement.
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'Gumbo Combo' Bowls Them Over in Covina
Continuing its Spring swing
through the area's traditional jazz clubs, JazzAmerica's "Gumbo Combo" appeared at the Society for the Preservation of Dixieland Jazz on Sunday, May 27, at the Covina Bowl in Covina.
The personnel:
Connor Ferguson, trumpet; Zach Frotton, clarinet; Ryan Greenfield,
tenor; Casper Stockwell, alto; James Walker, trombone; Randolph Taylor,
trombone and tuba; Mimi Markoe, piano; Connor Vance, violin, guitar and
banjo; Amir Brook, guitar; Adam Goldman and Jack Fairley, bass; and Darby Wilson, drums.
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"Gumbo Combo" Makes Mothers' Day
JazzAmerica's early jazz band,
Gumbo Combo, received a standing ovation for its stellar performance on
May 13 at the South Bay New Orleans Jazz Club.
The one-hour set featured Connor Ferguson (trumpet), Zach Frotton
(clarinet), our trombone section (James Walker and Randolph Taylor),
drummers Ryan McCarty and Darby Wilson, new bassists Adam Goldman and
Doug Holland, pianist Melissa Haugabook, guitarists Amir Brook and
Connor Vance, and tenor saxophonist Ryan Greenfield. The
performance was dedicated to Casper Stockwell, the altoist who was
felled by a broken arm last week.
Thanks to the SBNOJC for its warm reception, not to mention its healthy
scholarship check and its payroll for our hard-working musicians.
Finally, kudos to conductor Dan Barrett for providing understated yet firm leadership.
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We invite you to enjoy some examples of the repertoire of our "Gumbo Combo," as performed by Louis Armstrong and his contemporaries...
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Note:
This website is still under construction.
For further information about JazzAmerica,
please contact its Program Director - Richard Simon:
ufobass@aol.com
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