8th annual TJYBF
Sat., Feb. 9, 2013
Sac. State University
Capistrano Hall
8:00am – 5:30pm
Eve. concert 7:00pm
California State University,
Sacramento (CSUS)
6000 J Street
Sacramento, CA
"
2012 BANDS
These are the
jazz combos
that participated in the
7th annual
Traditional Jazz
Youth Band Festival
on February 11, 2012.
Scroll down to
read about each group.
ELEMENTARY &
MIDDLE SCHOOL
4243, John Barrett Middle School, Fair Oaks, CA
Gelato, Arden Middle, Sac., CA
Jazz Happy, J Street Studios, Davis, CA
Jazz Raptors, Creekview Ranch Middle, Roseville, CA
Jazzamatazz, J Street Studios, Davis, CA
Jazzers, Creekview Ranch Middle, Roseville, CA
Shave and Haircuts, Fremont Christian School, Fremont, CA
Stinky Cheese Hobos, Mission Ave. Open Elementary, Sac., CA
HIGH SCHOOL
9 Lives Jazz Intersection, J Street Studios, Davis, CA
Bayou Tide, Rio Americano HS, Sacramento, CA
Crazy Eights, J Street Studios, CA
Dixie Dominus, Fremont Christian School, Fremont, CA
Dynamite Jazz Band, Polly Edgerton, Roseville, CA
J Street Jazz Cats, J Street Studios, Davis, CA
Jazzinators I, East Bay Trad Jazz Society, Alameda, CA
Jazzinators II, East Bay Trad Jazz Society, Alameda, CA
Loose Change, Elk Grove HS (Nancy Kreis), Elk Grove, CA
Red Hot Moldy Fig Stompin’ Babies Jass Club of Rio Americano, Rio Americano HS, Sacramento, CA
Reedley River Rats, Reedley HS, Reedley, CA
Sax by Popular Demand, J Street Studios, Davis, CA
Syncopating Sea-Monkeys I, River City HS, West Sac., CA
Syncopating Sea-Monkeys II, River City HS, West Sac., CA
Take 2, Nancy Kreis, Elk Grove, CA
COLLEGE
Green Tie Jazz Band, Fremont, CA
Jazz Legacy Dixieland Band, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
RJ², American River College, Sacramento, CA,
Sea-Monkey All-Stars, Felicia Greenwood, West Sac., CA
HOST BANDS:
TNT: The New Traditionalists
Sac. Trad. Jazz Society
Sacramento, CA
CSUS Combo I, Sacramento State University, CA
CSUS Combo II, Sacramento State University, CA
Band Info
4243 Jazz is the first-year Trad Jazz group at Carmichael’s John Barrett Middle School directed by Brian Gayek. Brian attended the Sacramento Trad Jazz Camp for the first time last summer and his school jazz band is now part of the Trad Jazz Project this year. The seven members of the group are all leaders in the school’s Advanced Band, who have volunteered for Wednesday afternoon rehearsals and extra practice time to learn about this exciting music. 4243 Jazz has recently appeared at the Barrett MS Winter Concert and the San Juan Unified School District’s Wayne Reimers Jazz Festival.
Dixie Dominus is a rambunctious bunch of Fremont Christian high school students. They are excited about diving deep into the world of traditional jazz. Their band name, Dixie Dominus, is a play on words on George F. Handel's choral piece, Dixit Dominus. This is their sixth year at the Trad Jazz Youth Festival. Band director Thomas Banuelos received his music performance degree from Cal State East Bay where he played trumpet and piano in one of their Dixieland Ensembles, Section 7, which entered the inaugural Trad Jazz Youth Band Festival (2006). Last year, Thomas started a feeder band at the middle school level, now named Shave and Haircuts.
Dynamite Jazz Band (pronounced Deena-Meaty) is a group of high school musicians who have a burning passion to play Traditional Jazz. Even though many of them play in their school’s stage bands, they also enjoy emulating the classic tunes of Morton, Armstrong and Teagarden. This spirited group led by trombonist Thomas Edgerton will have you swinging ‘til you drop.
Gelato, started in October 2010 and directed by Rick Baker, has only one member returning this year's Arden Middle School jazz combo. The returning member is Jessica Katz, the band's vocalist, who also named the band. Gelato is excited about being selected to perform again for this year’s Sacramento Music Festival over Memorial Day Weekend, and looks forward to the Trad Jazz Youth Band Festival at CSUS. The combo consists entirely of 8th graders this year.
Green Tie Jazz Band is a 6-piece traditional jazz band comprised of college students trying to keep trad jazz alive. GTJB was founded in June of 2010 and is based in Fremont, California. They strive to bring a fresh take on old standards while staying true to the ways of Armstrong, Teagarden, Kid Ory, Beiderbecke, and the like. Without an experienced mentor as most other next generation bands have, they tend to learn as they go... but don't let that fool you. The Green Tie Jazz Band can really move your feet! They love to connect with their listeners at shows, but you can also find them on Wordpress, Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube!
J STREET STUDIOS - The following six bands from the J Street Studios are directed by saxophone and clarinet instructor Celia Cottle. Most of these bands perform in the Davis area for community and fundraising events at such locations as the Farmer's Market, retirement centers, senior center dances, etc. as well as for selected events such as the Trad Jazz Youth Band Festival, Sacramento Music Festival and STJS Jazz Sundays:
1) Jazzamatazz is made up of students ages 11 to 13. This is usually the first experience with a jazz band that some of these band members have had. There are also Jazzamatazz band members from last year in this band that help show the newer band members what they have learned about Trad Jazz.
2) Jazz Happy is actually a smaller group of Junior High Jazz Cats, renamed for this Festival, ages 11 to 13, who participated in the Trad Jazz Youth Band Festival last year as Jazzamatazz. They are always so enthusiastic and happy, that it must be the jazz they love to play that helps them be that way.
3) J Street Jazz Cats is a private band of mostly high school students this year, ages 13 to 16. This band evolves each year as new musicians join to fill the parts of previous band members who have moved on to other bands. They learn the traditional jazz tunes from the more experienced band members who are working on improving their phrasing and improvisational skills. This band has enjoyed playing at the Sacramento Music Festival for the past 10 years.
4) 9 Lives Jazz Intersection band members are actually Jazz Cats, but for the purpose of this Festival, they adopted a new name and practiced some traditional jazz tunes as a smaller group of only 9 players where they had more improvisation time.
5) Crazy Eights evolved out of J Street Jazz Cats. These advanced musicians age 13 to 16 play predominantly by ear for this band although they would have no trouble reading charts if need be. Their repertoire is based off of lead sheets where they have worked together to make unique arrangements for each tune.
6) Sax by Popular Demand is a band of all high school musicians. Traditional jazz tunes are presented from largely a saxophone perspective with interesting harmonies and intricate arrangements and other times with various members of the saxophone family covering the same roles of the trumpet, clarinet, and trombone for the group improvisation that occurs in more conventional traditional jazz bands. This band has also enjoyed playing at the Sacramento Music Festival for the past 10 years.
Jazz Legacy Dixieland Band is from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Nothing conjures up the vision of 1920s America more than the swinging music of BYU's Dixieland band Jazz Legacy directed by Steve Call. As guest performer at international jazz festivals, Jazz Legacy has earned an international reputation of quality performance -- while its repertoire of Dixieland standards and their fast-paced stage show has won it a name for entertainment at schools, conventions, and civic concerts. Featuring clarinet, trombone, trumpet, piano, banjo, drums, and bass, Jazz Legacy brings back the memories of a bygone era.
Jazz Raptors and Jazzers are 6th, 7th and 8th grade students directed by Polly Edgerton at Creekview Ranch Middle School in Roseville. They are learning to play combo style jazz from lead sheets. They make their own arrangements and are working on their improvising skills. In rehearsal, they often listen to the jazz greats and pause the recording and try to emulate their licks and riffs. They will soon be learning to transcribe jazz solos. This is the Raptor’s 3rd appearance at the TJYBF and the Youth Jazz Festival in Newark, and second year at the Sacramento Music Festival. They have also played at Burger Hut, the Fair Oaks Dog Walk, and Arden Community Church.
Jazzinators I and II are the dedicated youth musicians sponsored by the East Bay Traditional Jazz Society. Along with their traditional jazz genre, they also perform big band swing. In existence now for six years, there are fourteen musicians attending 8th grades through first year of college throughout the cities of Fremont and Milpitas. (Seven of their musicians attended a summer jazz camp in 2009.) The Jazzinators have been entertaining at senior/ retirement facilities & private parties; host two youth jazz band festivals/year; play 2 regular gigs a month at Pizza Depot, Grimmer and Auto Mall Parkway, every 1st and 3rd Tuesday from 7-8pm, and the Centerville Farmers Market the 2nd Saturday, from 9am to 12noon. According to their band director John Soulis, these young people are an integral part of their society's efforts and motto, "Bridging the Jazz Gap."
Loose Change is comprised of 15- and16-year-old honor students, and is directed by Mario Sebastian and Nancy Kreis. It is the jazz quartet that represents Elk Grove High School at such jazz competitions as the Delta Jazz Festival, Sacramento State Winter Jazz Festival, Folsom Jazz Festival, Woodcreek Jazz Festival, and Reno Jazz Festival; as well as numerous private parties and local functions. Each of its members has been awarded outstanding soloist recognition at these jazz competitions. Performing in another group, three of these students have also been awarded “Best Player” by Sacramento's Trad Jazz Youth Band Festival.
RJ² - Excited to be back in the swing of things, American River College's 2nd appearance at the Traditional Jazz Youth Band Festival promises to be as amped as their debut in 2011. Under the direction of Professor Susan Hamre and student director Jared Blum, these youths (aged 19-26) are here to prove that the Jazz tradition is not only going strong, but here to stay. Formerly Jam-Balaya, their new name, RJ², shows just how backwards these crazy cats can carry themselves while still putting their best musical feet forward. Though light in members, these "5 Juniors" are ready to spell out Jazz in a new way: Everything from Z to A!
Red Hot Fig Stompin' Moldy Babies Club of Rio Americano and Bayou Tide consist of select musicians from Rio Americano High School in Sacramento. Rio's band program has achieved international recognition, and in recent years, groups have performed in Japan, China, Australia, and Argentina. They have been seven-time winners of the Monterey Jazz Festival's high school competition, and five-time finalists at the Essentially Ellington Festival. Traditional
Jazz is part of a comprehensive jazz curriculum at Rio.
Reedley River Rats, directed by Samuel Gipson, played their first performance in the spring of 1985. They immediately became the most popular performing group at Reedley High School. Their high-energy playing and fun stage presence always keeps the audience entertained. Along with their performances in and around Reedley, they have been guest artists with the Kings Symphony and invited to traditional jazz festivals in Fresno, Three Rivers, Sacramento, Hanford, Turlock, Pismo Beach, Monterey, and Santa Nella. This 29th edition of the River Rats includes four seniors, three juniors, and a freshman.
Sea-Monkey All-Stars are composed of Sea-Monkey alumni from recent years, and one current Sea-Monkey. Anxious to keep going with the art form they came to love in high school, this group of talented players organized by high school band director Felicia Greenwood Weatherly, is looking at this festival as an opportunity to put together a band that will hopefully continue well beyond February. Now, with more artistic freedom than in school and expanding musical experience, these students will really shine.
Stinky Cheese Hobos hail from Mission Ave Open Elementary in Carmichael, CA in the San Juan Unified School District (SJUSD). This young group of musicians ranging from 4th-6th grade is a part of the Traditional Jazz Project in partnership with the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society (STJS) and SJUSD. In addition to instruction from Mr. Dugan, students receive clinics from STJS Gold Card Musicians, special guest artists, and perform at a wide variety of sponsored events throughout the year. This year’s group looks forward to returning to the festival and sharing their excitement for music after last year’s band debuted at the festival. The Stinky Cheese Hobos have performed in the Kiwanis Jazz Festival and several SJUSD sponsored events, and hope to return to this year’s Sacramento Music Festival as a next generation band.
Syncopating Sea-Monkeys - River City High School band director Felicia Greenwood Weatherly, an STJS Trad Jazz Camp alumnus, created two traditional jazz combos from her original Syncopating Sea-Monkeys jazz ensemble. They are a high-energy group of teenagers who have a passion for traditional jazz. Their director has been described by Stan Mark as, “one of the most important music educators in our country.” The Monkeys are a shining example of what the STJS youth education program accomplishes each year.
Take 2 is a traditional jazz band directed by Nancy Kreis. It is comprised of 16 and 17-year-old high school honor students from the Elk Grove area. Formed in 2008 while still students at Kerr Middle School, this youth group has since been invited to perform as a next generation band at such places as the Sacramento Music Festival, Mother Lode Hot Jazz Party, Fresno Mardi Gras, and Dixieland Monterey; as well as many local, private functions. In the past, the Sacramento Trad Jazz Youth Band Festival has awarded “Best Player” to four of its members.
HOST BANDS:
The New Traditionalists (aka: TNT), Sacramento, CA – Dir. Bob Williams
TNT is the host youth band sponsored by the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society managed by STJS volunteers Elinor Hackett and Priscilla Ornelas, and directed by Sacramento trombonist Bob Williams.
Each year in the fall, as TNT members graduate from high school, auditions are held for new recruits. They are well versed in early jazz via their participation at the STJS Trad Jazz Camp, weekly rehearsals, and Jazz Sunday concerts at the Dante Club. This honor jazz band of middle and high school students represents an STJS commitment to “passing the torch” at their jazz club activities, community events, and at other jazz festivals.
Jazz Combos I & II at Sacramento State University provide a creative outlet for the beginning improviser as well as the advanced. Under the guidance and direction of the Sacramento State Jazz Faculty, students work together within assigned combos to develop proficiency in the art & craft of jazz improvisation and small group jazz ensemble playing. Groups are often organized according to themes, where the repertoire of a specific jazz composer or genre is addressed. Combos perform frequently on and off campus for a variety of different functions and events. Music majors, non-music majors and students enrolled through the College of Extended Studies may participate in the Sac State Jazz Combos. Two combos will be performing at this year’s Festival. They are under the direction of Gerry Pineda and Tim Stephenson. .
Trad Jazz Youth Band Festival (TJYBF) • Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society(STJS)
c/o 1101 Kingsford Drive • Carmichael, CA 95608-6161
(916) 444-2004 • E-mail: youthbandfest@sacjazz.org
