JazzAmerica Big Band 2013!
E-Auditions: May 13 - May 17, 2013
We invite students aged 13 to 20 to Audition for this year's JazzAmerica Big Band.
JazzAmerica, co-founded by jazz legend Buddy Collette in 1994, perpetuates the jazz tradition by providing instruction in "traditional jazz" from January int May, and "big Band jazz" from May through August.
- Meet other good players from all over Southern California while you hone your chops.
- Rehearsals are Saturday mornings, beginning May 18, at the Musicians Union, 817 Vine St., Hollywood, CA 90038
- guest clinicians this summer will include drummer/vibraphonist Chuck Redd and tenor sax giant Houston Person
- Performances July 28, August 17 and August 18
We are looking for jazz-loving students of the Saxophone(s), Trumpet and Trombone who can pay the Blues as well as Read and Practice parts that are challenging.
All prospective students:
(1) Download a part (below) for your instrument
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Note:
You can watch and listen to "Crazy Riffin'," the tune the Audition material is derived from, here:
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for further information, please email Richard at:
UFOBASS@aol.com
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JazzAmerica's 2012 Big Band at the Central Avenue Jazz Festival
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| JazzAmerica Big Band at Central Avenue Jazz Festival 2012 |
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JazzAmerica
...is in its 20th year of providing jazz education to youngsters aged 11 to 20
...was co-founded by jazz legend and community pillar Buddy Collette
...features the expertise of renowned, professional jazz educators - and our service is tuition-free!
...survives on the generosity of a handful of charitable organizations and a handful of supportive individuals
To continue this invaluable service - especially in this era of public shool budget-cutting in arts education - we urge you to make a contribution.
We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. We provide all donors a personalized receipt; all donations are tax-deductibe.
For your convenience, we recently created a PayPal account for accepting online donations. Your personal information is secure, and there's no need for an envelope, stamp or checkbook.
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REHEARSALS began Saturday, June 2, at the Musicians Union, 817 Vine St., Hollywood 90038
- The hours are from 9:45 am to 12:30 pm. Punctuality and preparedness are essential.
- Attendance of at least 6 of the 9 Saturdays from June 2 through July 28 will be required if you wish to perform at the Central Avenue Jazz Festival on Sunday, July 29 (details TBA)
- JazzAmerica has a performance on Sunday, August 19th, from 2 pm to 4 pm in Venice, CA
- We are awaiting confirmation of a season-ending, Labor Day-weekend performance
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JazzAmerica
salutes the music of the great music, musicians and arrangers, including:
* Dizzy Gillespie - his composition and arrangement of "A Night in Tunisia" - as recorded by the Boy Raeburn Orchestra (parts available for download below)
* Sy Oliver - "Opus One" is but one of his contributions to the Dorsey band
* Oliver Nelson - known for his jazz classic, "Stolen Moments"; we're doing his original, "Miss Fine"
* Gerald Wilson - conductor of one of the wrold's great jazz orchestras; wrote the memorable "Blues for Yna Yna"
.....and more!
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2012 JazzAmerica "Trad" Band Swings!
May Madness: FOUR Performances
In what has become a JazzAmerica tradition, the new year began with a study of "traditional jazz" - learning the tunes and features of jazz from the 20s into the 40s, with heavy helpings of Louis Armstrong.
This time we raised the bar for admission: as an audition assignment, returning students were required to bring in an Arrangement or a "take-down" of a recorded arrangement of a tune associated with the trad jazz era.
Every one of our returning students - and even some of the new ones - tackled the assignment, proving that young musicians are capable of rising to a difficult challenge!
The tunes chosen by these intrepid arrangers and transcribers have constituted a significant portion of the practice and performing repertoire of the band.
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We culminate this study of "early Jazz" in four Springtime shows:
- Sunday, May 6 - Valley Jazz Club, Canoga Park - 3 to 4 pm
- Sunday, May 13 (Mothers Day) South Bay New Orleans Jazz Club, Redondo Beach,
3 pm
- Saturday, May 19 - for RIF (Reading is Fundamental) - Union Station, downtown LA
- Sunday, May 20 - Jazz Forum, Santa Monica: 1600 Ocean Park Blvd., 2:45-3:00pm
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Everything's coming up Rosie...
On Sunday, May 20, JazzAmerica's trad band performed at Jazz Forum in Santa Monica as part of a celebration of the life and music of clarinetist Rosie McHargue.
For the benefit of our students and the jazz community in general, we invite you to click on the links below to hear the delightful, humorous and swinging arrangements associated with this colorful musician.
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Attention Trad Band Members:
Please click on your instrument below to find parts for the four tunes listed above.
Kindly print them out and tape the pages so that each tune is bound together, accordion-style.
Then practice the music, place it in your folder and bring it to every rehearsal.
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(JazzAmerica will put together a new Big Band and conduct its annual Summer "WorkChops" in late May or early June.
Please check in at this site periodically for updated information about auditions.)
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for Audition information and further details,
please write to Richard Simon, program director, at
UFOBASS@aol.com
Include your name, your age, your instrument, how long you have been playing Jazz.
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JazzAmerica: Mission and Message
We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization co-founded by the late Buddy Collette. Our mission is to perpetuate the jazz tradition through education - and to provide this invaluable service tuition-free.
Since our founding in 1994, music students with a passion for Jazz have auditioned during May to participate in our summer-long "WorkChops" program.
Drawing upon the expertise of some of the top musician/educators, we assemble a new band each year and study the rich and enduring legacy of big band material as performed by Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Benny Carter, Mary Lou Williams...and this year, Buddy Collette!
Band members range in age from 12 to 21, representing a diversity of ethnic groups and backgrounds.
In his book, Jazz Generations, Buddy Collette remembers growing up in Watts where Chinese, Hispanic, black and white youngsters mingled freely and amicably. We're proud that each year's JazzAmerica Big Band reflects Buddy's commitment to openness and inclusiveness.
We are a thriving, popular jazz institution thanks to thoughtful donations from a handful of parents, jazz organizations and foundations. To continue to provide this unique and invaluable program tuition-free, we invite you to come hear the band this summer and experience the excitement and promise represented by these dedicated, enthusiastic youngsters.
Once you've heard them, you'll want to make a donation....
Here are notices about our three Big Band performances, summer 2011:
* The Central Avenue Jazz Festival
Sunday, July 31, at 11:45 am
with Buddy's Buddies - alumni of the Buddy Collette Big Band:
John Stephens, saxophone
Ann Patterson, saxophone
Everett Turner, trumpet
Jamael Dana, piano
Dave Koonse, guitar
Richard Simon, bass
Mel Lee, drums
For more information on the festival, please visit:
www.centralavenuejazz.org
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* Buddy Collette Birthday Celebration
and
JazzAmerica Fundraiser
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Catalina Bar and Grill, the world-class jazz club in Hollywood, represents yet another of Buddy Collette's many contributions to the cultural life of Los Angeles.
Over two decades ago, Buddy met with Bob and Catalina Popescu and lent his considerable prestige and support to the establishment and perpetuation of jazz at their restaurant.
Since then, the club has featured performances by the top names in jazz - including Dizzy Gillespie, McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Smith, Milt Jackson, Christian McBride and many others.
Catalina has, in turn, shown gratitude and respect by hosting numerous events to honor Buddy - including a series of annual fundraisers for the Stroke Association.
This year, in what would have been Buddy's 90th year, JazzAmerica salutes Catalina for hosting this event to honor her good friend and to support the fundraising efforts on behalf of the organization that Buddy helped to create: JazzAmerica.
The Buddy Collette Big Band
conducted by John Stephens
plus
Dee Dee McNeil
and
Ernie Andrews
at
Catalina Bar & Grill - Hollywood
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Wally Holmes is an unsung hero, a music maven whose influence is heard and felt but seldom seen.
The son of evangelists, he discovered jazz at an early age and a talent for cornet that hasn't waned to this day.
His high school band toured Europe and played Carnegie Hall.
He became a prolific composer of pop tunes, the most famous of which is still heard: "Rock the Boat," by the Hues Corporation.
But despite the phenomenal success wrought by that mega-hit, Wally remains true to his first love, Jazz.
With a messianic fervor - and at considerable personal expense - Wally has created a Mecca for Traditional Jazz: his annual Sweet & Hot Jazz Festival features scores of musicians and draws thousands of fans over Labor Day weekend every year.
Along the way, Wally and his Sweet & Hot Foundation have been stalwart supporters of JazzAmerica.
We urge jazz fans to attend the Sweet & Hot festival and to enjoy JazzAmerica on Sunday, September 4.
* Sweet & Hot Jazz Festival
Sunday, September 4
LAX Marriott Hotel
www.sweethot.org
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Aside from his many Union activities and record dates, Buddy Collette was also a prolific composer.
In the introduction to Volume 1 of the Buddy Collette Songbooks, Buddy wrote these notes:
"The songs in this book were written over a period of thirty years.
Some were written about my family, my friends and places that I lived and visited.
I wanted to compose and publish songs that had different styles and feeling.
Regarding "April Skies," Buddy wrote:
"April Skies is one of my earliest compositions.
In 1946 my quartet made a recording of it for the now legendary Dolphins of Hollywood label.
Later, in 1952, tenorist Wardell Gray recorded it for the Prestige label, with Art Farmer on trumpet and
Hampton Hawes on piano."
Here is a link to a recording of "April Skies," as heard on that Prestige recording.
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Another popular tune of Buddy's is "Hunt and Peck":
"...written for the KPFK radio show, Los Angeles, California, in 1958."
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Listen to Buddy Collette on flute playing "Hunt and Peck."
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April is the coolest month
(not the "cruellest," as T.S. Eliot thought)
JazzAmerica invites everyone to
Celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month!
JazzAmerica's Supersize Combo
performs Sunday, April 17
at the Beverly Hills Women's Club
as part of this year's
Jazz Forum Tribute to Rosy McHargue
Rosy McHargue was a clarinetist, composer, and teacher who made the most of his 92 years of life.
The Santa Monica club Jazz Forum hosts an annual tribute to Rosy. The event features three bands, including this year's JazzAmerica winter band, playing tunes written or arranged by Rosy among its selections.
Jazz Forum encourages jazz lovers and jazz education advocates to support the event. Funds raised at the concert will provide music scholarships to young musicians
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William "Buddy" Collette
August 6, 1921 - September 19, 2010
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JazzAmerica mourns the loss of Buddy Collette: a giant of jazz, a true gentleman and a pillar of the community.
Buddy bore the burden of many struggles, but always did so with dignity.
He made friendships that endured, created music that soared, and developed ideas that flourished.
He was a pioneer in the establishment of equality in the music industry.
He honed his craft to the highest levels of musical excellence.
His personality, warmth and grace ennobled all with whom he made a connection.
As a model human being, he set a tall example for us all.
As a co-founder of JazzAmerica, he was determined to make a genuine, meaningful contribution to the development of young people.
With great difficulty, Buddy rose out of a sickbed to attend the final performance of the JazzAmerica Big Band for 2010. He was determined to lend his support yet again to the 30 youngsters in this year's group. He had already written notes to the students thanking them for their dedication to the music and encouraging them to continue to practice and study. It was to be his final public appearance.
While JazzAmerica is primarily geared towards the musical growth of its participants, it is also a laboratory for character-building: students learn to play notes on their instruments even as they learn self-discipline, cooperation, respect, and responsibility.
In this sorrowful aftermath of his passing, we of JazzAmerica rededicate ourselves to uphold the high ideals and exemplary character of Buddy Collette.
May his life continue to inspire us all.
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JazzAmerica champions the music of "early jazz."
Listen to a Charlie Parker solo, and you'll hear "quotations" from New Orleans soprano saxophonist Sidney Bechet.
By "digging the roots" of jazz, students learn where the music came from, who were its important figures, and what material to draw from in creating original solos that express the jazz vocabulary.
Here are a couple of "early jazz" selections. Enjoy!
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Here
is a look back at our exciting summer of 2010.
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Joyful and Triumphant!
JazzAmerica dazzles the jazz faithful at season-ending
Sweet & Hot Jazz Festival performance
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On Sunday, September 5, JazzAmerica's 30-piece Big Band roared through a swinging set and rocked the Roseland Ballroom at the Sweet & Hot Jazz Festival.
With co-founder Buddy Collette in attendance, JazzAmerica won new fans and impressed the old ones.
"If I closed my eyes," said one festival patron, "I heard a band every bit as good as a professional big band."
The ensemble cooked on the Ellington and Basie classics, and outstanding solos by Abdullah Ibrahim, Dara Karbassioon, Carlos Jimenez and Aaron Shaw elicited shouts and hearty applause from the full-house audience. Vocalist Ashley Sirles charmed the entire room with her soulful renditions of both ballad and blues.
- - - -
We salute all 30 students and their families for hanging tough all summer - a 17-week series of weekly rehearsals - validating our belief in how a jazz musician, as well as a quality band, is made: with a love for jazz, lots of listening, and individual hard work.
JazzAmerica will resume rehearsals in the Spring of 2011.
Keep an eye on this website for updates.
Thanks to all 8 of our sponsors for providing us the support that helped us achieve these impressive results.
And a special welcome to our new donors, including Carlos and Gloria Cuadra and several anonymous benefactors....
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JazzAmerica students are grateful for the opportunity to have studied jazz this summer.
They are aware that opportunities such as this one are rare, so they are effusive in expressing their gratitude to our sponsors.
Every one of our 30 young musicians took the time to write letters of thanks for the recently-completed 2010 JazzAmerica season.
We invite you to explore below to discover just how much this program means to those who participate.
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Hello Richard,
We are so grateful for the work that both you and Roger have committed yourselves to.
We realize that Carlie is fortunate to have private lessons at her fingertips and talented instructors in our schools for her to learn from and assist her in developing her skills.
The Jazz world has provided her with a passion every parent hopes their children will find.
Thank you for taking the time for each and every one of these students. We were happy to help.
- Mike, Doreen and Carlie Jansen
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JazzAmerica Conquers Central Avenue!
Sunday, July 25 set galvanizes crowd, evokes golden age of jazz
JazzAmerica brought its 25-piece Big Band to the main stage of the 15th annual Central Avenue Jazz Festival and breathed new life into the music of Duke Ellington, Mary Lou Williams and Count Basie.
Over 3,000 jazz fans packed the tent for the noontime set, which opened the second day of the event.
Echoes of jazz legends Johnny Hodges, Ray Nance and Ella Fitzgerald were abundant in Dara Karbassioun's alto solo on "Things Ain't What They Used to Be," Carlos Jiminez trumpet solo on "Take the 'A' Train," and vocalist Ashley Searles' heartfelt reading of "I Didn't Know About You."
Videos of these tunes and more can be viewed on You Tube:
Check out the website for the 15th Annual Central Avenue Jazz Festival:
www.centralavejazz.org
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JazzAmerica week XII: July 31, 2010
We're just two weeks - and three all-too-brief rehearsals - away from our second performance of 2010: Los Angeles Jazz Forum.
Los Angeles Jazz Forum is a venerable institution in the community. Comprised of jazz players, dancers and fans alike, Jazz Forum meets on the third Sunday of every month in the Moose Lodge at 1600 Ocean Park Boulevard in Santa Monica, CA. JazzAmerica's call time for that performance is 111:45 am; the downbeat is 1 pm.
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JazzAmerica 2010 to culminate at Sweet & Hot
Sunday, September 5 performances marks final concert of the season
Wally Holmes, producer of the Sweet & Hot Jazz Festival, just re-confirmed that JazzAmerica will perform its traditional end-of-season set at the Festival on Sunday, September 5 at 6 pm. (Call time is 4:45 pm.)
Sweet & Hot is the current incarnation of the LA Classic jazz festival. While the Classic featured "dixieland" jazz almost exclusively, Sweet & Hot showcases "traditional" jazz but has broadened its scope by adding musicians and bands that play swing, blues, gospel, gypsy and other jazz styles for listening and dancing.
Sweet & Hot is a long-time supporter of JazzAmerica.
About five ears ago, word of brass virtuoso Betty O'Hara's illness brought in donations from dozens of her friends and fans. When Betty passed away, her widow, Barrett O'Hara, established a scholarship fund for JazzAmerica from those donations. Festival producer Wally Holmes continues the tradition of donating a substantial check so that we can continue to offer top-notch instruction and to provide it tuition-free.
Sweet & Hot essentially takes over the Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel at 5855 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045. Music begins on Thursday, September 2, with the annual Walk of Fame awards presentation, and continues all of Labor Day weekend. Eight different venues stage live performances non-stop from before noon to 'round about midnight.
JazzAmerica families are encouraged to "make a weekend of it" to enjoy not only the JazzAmerica set, but to bask in some of the vast array of jazz - presented in both air-conditioned comfort and outdoors, poolside.
Tickets for the entire weekend are just $100 per person. Hotel rates are merely $118 per night/per room, double occupancy.
For further information about the Festival, please pursue the following contacts:
- to purchase tickets: Laurie (909) 983-0106 Laurie 419@yahoo.com
- for information on Volunteering ( a great way to hear a lot of great music and meet & greet musicians):
Bobbye Marcus (818) 887-0120 bobbye70@yahoo.com
-for a full Festival roundup, visit their website: www.sweethot.org
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JazzAmerica repertoire
parts for all the following should be in your folder, taped, and brought to every rehearsal:
Walkin' and Swingin'
Tanga
Things Ain't What They Used to Be
Take the 'A' Train - (we're playing only the Strayhorn arrangement with the ASCAP logo on p. 1)
That Warm Feeling
Moten Swing
Alright, Okay, You Win
I Didn't Know About You
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Piano
(Pianists, please be aware of the transcribed Solos from Letter G to Letter H, and from Letter I to Letter J.
You are welcome to study and 'borrow' ideas from these Mary Lou Williams solos, but you need not learn them 'verbatim.'
For your audition, please be prepared to play an original Piano Solo in those places.)
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| JazzAmerica Will Meet on Saturdays, May 15 through September 5 |
Second Song for Download:
"Tanga," by Dizzy Gillespie
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2009 Summer Concerts Were Sizzlin'!
Last year, our fans enjoyed year's TWO JazzAmerica Big Bands:
= Sunday, July 26, from 11 am to 12 noon:
Central Avenue Jazz Festival
42nd Street and Central Avenue
in the heart of LA's historic jazz district
Two days of jazz - all Free!
= Thursday, September 3, 6 to 7 pm:
LAX Marriott Hotel - Roseland Ballroom
JazzAmerica East Big Band
(opening the Sweet & Hot Jazz Festival's
Walk of Fame night)
= Friday, September 4, from 1 to 2 pm:
Newport Beach Jazz Party
= Sunday, September 6, from 6 to 7 pm:
Sweet & Hot Jazz Festival
visit www.SweetHot.org for details
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2009: Full House for the Buddy Collette Birthday Bash!
Catlaina jazz club hosted a 'love-fest' for
JazzAmerica's co-founder, the legendary BUDDY COLLETTE,
as he celebrated his 88th Birthday on Sunday, August 9.
Where: Catalina Bar & Grill, 6725 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA
What: "A Tale of Two Princes: Prince William (Buddy) Collette and Prince Charles (Mingus) -
Music of Both Composers"
Who: Llew Matthews (p)
Dave Koonse (g)
Everett Turner (t)
John Stephens (bari sax)
Louis Van Taylor (tenor & clarinet)
Richard Simon (b)
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2009: JazzAmerica's 15th Year!
BULLETIN...
Jazz is cool again...
We're filled to capacity!
Saturday, May 30 marked the resumption of our summer "WorkChops.”
The turnout is huge, with nearly 40 students participating.
To handle the overwhelming demand for our tuition-free jazz classes...
We've opened a second campus: JazzAmerica/East!
Woodwind repairman and educator Orlando Castaneda
is running jazz education classes in freeway-close El Monte.
JazzAmerica East has already staged two performances this summer, and will open the Sweet & Hot Jazz Festival's "Walk of Fame" night on Thursday, September 3!
Where ~ Orlano's Wind Instruments
1230 Santa Aita Avenue,Suite E
El Monte, CA 91733
ph> 626.523.0069
Send inquiries to: ocowi@hotmail.com
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Since 1994, JazzAmerica, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, has been Southern California's leader in providing tuition-free jazz education. We are led by our co-founder, jazz legend Buddy Collette.
Our activities include public concerts that feature professional and/or student ensembles, lectures, and panel discussions, all aimed at maintaining community awareness of America's indigenous artform: Jazz.
2009 finds us continuing our commitment to teaching Jazz to talented youngsters from throughout Southern California:
* Our collaboration with LACER (see www.LACERstars.org) continues with after-school jazz instruction at Fairfax high school in Hollywood
* The JazzAmerica Tentette performed on April 4 in honor of Jazz Appreciation Month, and on May 10, Mothers Day
* We’ve booked 3 high-profile concert performances in 2009:
July 26 - Central Avenue Jazz Festival
September 4 - Newport Beach Jazz Party
Setpember 6 - Sweet & Hot Jazz Festival
For further information, please contact Richard Simon, Program Director, at UFOBASS@aol.com.
JazzAmerica
PO Box 661777
Los Angeles, CA 90066
{Read on below to view the highlights of our 2008 programs}
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JazzAmerica presents...
a November to Remember
starring
vocalist Brady McKay & pianist John Cocuzzi
with
String Fever! - classically-trained students from the
Verdugo Young Musicians Association
plus
The Young Lions - the afterschool jazz band from Fairfax high school
Sunday, November 23 at Catalina Jazz Club
6725 Sunset Blvd.,
Hollywood, CA 90038
cover charge: $15 + minimum: two beverages, or brunch
call for Reservations: 323.466.2210
for further information, visit: catalinajazzclub.com
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JazzAmerica Resumes VYMA Partnership This Fall
The Verdugo Young Musicians Association (VYMA) has again teamed up with JazzAmerica
to present a fall series of jazz "workchops" from mid-October through early December.
This series follows a highly successful collaboration in August of 2008 that involved over a dozen classically-trained students in a two-week "Jazz Camp."
While last summer's camp concentrated on ensemble playing and the concept of the "swinging eighth note," this season's series focuses on the "building blocks" of jazz, including the Blues, jazz scales, chord structure and elements of improvisation.
Special thanks are due Elizaeth and Brent Whitfield, parents of VYMA cellists "Sissy" and Arland Whitfield, for conceiving the fall program, successfully campaigning for it with VYMA brass, and recruiting a talented and energetic group of students.
VYMA will present the jazz ensemble as part of its holiday program on Sunday, December 13, at 3:00 pm at Occidental College's Thorne Hall.
Further information will appear on this website soon.
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Summer Concert Season Sizzles!
JazzAmerica's 2008 Big Band Ends on a High Note
Concluding its final month of activity, this year's JazzAmerica program showcased its 2008 Big Band in several high-profile venues:
--On Sunday, July 27, JazzAmerica opened day two of the Central Avenue Jazz Festival
Buoyed by a comfortable breeze and an enthusiastic crowd, the JazzAmerica Big Band sailed through an hour-long performance that ranged from the "early jazz" of New Orleans to jazz arrangements of Stevie Wonder pop tunes.
Even with some absentees due to prior commitments, the ensemble consisted of 29 young musicians. And despite their large numbers, the band maintained a tight, swinging groove throughout the set, never over-blowing and displaying an impressive control of dynamics and shading.
The audience and the band joined in giving a prolonged standing ovation to JazzAmerica co-founder Buddy Collette. An impromptu chorus of "Happy Birthday" ensued; Buddy observes his 86th on August 6.
Fittingly, after the concert many JazzAmerica families photographed their young musicians in front of the sign that denotes 42nd and Central Avenue as the storied center of jazz in Los Angeles.
(For more information: please visit www.CentralAvenueJazzFestival.com)
--On Sunday, August 31, JazzAmerica performed at the Sweet & Hot Jazz Festival
at the LAX Marriott Hotel.
A crowd estimated at 250 stood and cheered the 28 students on the bandstand, several of whom are headed to college this fall.
Festival director Wally Holmes expressed his delight with the sound of the band and the improvement of the soloists. He presented one check to JazzAmerica's treasury for our ongoing teaching programs, and another check to cover the Pay of each student who performed at the festival!
for more information: please visit www.SweetHot.org
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JA Swingtet & Poncho Unite for SOY
JazzAmerica's Swingtet, an 8-piece combo, opened for the reigning king of Latin jazz,
PONCHO SANCHEZ, at a fundraiser for Spirit of Youth (S.O.Y.) on Thursday, July 10.
(S.O.Y. provides educational opportunities abroad for disadvantaged youth.)
The event was held at Catalina Bar & Grill, 6725 W. Sunset Blvd., in Hollywood.
The Swingtet is comprised of JazzAmerica students who have studied the important "early jazz" works and recordings of Louis Armstrong, Earl Hines, Vic Dickenson, Count Basie, Neal Hefti and Eddie Heywood.
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JazzAmerica Fund Raiser: a Roof-Raiser
A full house enjoys
Buddy Collette Big Band + Ernie Andrews
Continuing their long association, Catalina Bar & Grill and Buddy Collette re-united on Wednesday evening, June 11.
The Buddy Collette Big Band presented a program of Buddy's original material, performed by some of the top jazz artists in Los Angeles.
Joining the band were two "legends of Central Avenue," vocalists Ernie Andrews and Linda Hopkins.
JazzAmerica needed 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.
If you missed the fund raiser, you can still contribute.
All donations to our 501(c)(3) non-profit organization are Tax Deductible.
Please address your check to:
JazzAmerica
PO Box 661777
Los Angeles, CA 90066
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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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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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