Jazz Festival
Date/Time
Date(s) - 02/03/2023
11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Location
Summerville High School Theater
Categories
Friday, February 3, 2023 at 6 p.m. in the Sonora High School Auditorium
Saturday, February 4, 2023 at 4 p.m. in the Summerville High School Theater
Tickets: $20 available at Mountain Book Shop in the Junction. Ticket sales at the evening concerts help support the music programs at Sonora and Summerville High Schools.
The Columbia Artist Jazz Series announces dates for the Jazz Festival for high school students. The event includes public performances with the professional jazz musicians participating in the festival.
A concert with the guest artists will be held on Friday, February 3, 2023 at the Sonora High School Auditorium starting at 6 p.m. and Saturday, February 4, a concert with guest artists will be held at the Summerville High School Theater at 4 p.m.
Performers at the Jazz Festival Concerts include Vocalist Kenny Washington, Pianist Walter Bankocitch, Bass Player Clint Day, Drummer David Hawkes, Paul Contos performing on saxophone and flute, and Trumpetist Mike Rocha. Additionally, Trombonist Jamie Dubberly will perform at the Friday night concert in Sonora.
The Jazz Festival brings professional musicians to hold workshops with high school students from the surrounding area. This year the Vocal Jazz Festival will be included in the event.
The public is invited to visit the daytime activities with the high school students at no charge.
Friday, February 3, 2023 will be sessions for instrumental students. This will be held at the Summerville High School Theater on the following schedule:
11:15 – Golden Valley High School, Mike Vasquez, director
11:40 – Summerville High School, Jeff Johnson, director
12:05 – Merced High School, Jon Schmid, director
12:30 – Golden Valley High School, Mike Vasquez, director
12:55 – Cordova High School, Kevin Sims, director
1:20 – Hillview Junior High School, Diane Klaczynski, director
1:45 – Golden Valley High School, Mike Vasquez, director
2:10 – Breakout clinics with festival guest artists
3:00 – Jam session for all to play together
On Saturday, February 4, 2003, the event continues at Summerville High School with vocal ensembles participating as scheduled:
11:30 – Rio Linda High School, Craig Murray, director
12:20 – Cabrillo College, Mark Bidelman, director
12:30 – Folsom High School, Curtis Gaesser, director
1:00 – Workshop with Kenny Washington and Walter Bankovitch
2:00 – Skyline Community College, Michelle Hawkins, director
2:30 – Kingsburg High School, Richard Mynderup, director
3:00 – Summerville High School Jazz, Rod Haris, director
Kenny Washington has thrilled San Francisco audiences with his soulful interpretations, seemingly limitless range, and rapid-fire scatting ever since making his home in the Bay Area. Fans are delighted by this New Orleans native that the San Francisco Chronicle describes as “the Superman of the Bay Area jazz scene, a vocalist with an exuberantly supple tenor that glides effortlessly into the stratosphere.” With this growing recognition, Washington was voted a “Rising Star” in the male vocals category in the 57th Annual Downbeat Critics’ Poll. Washington has also appeared at Jazz At Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis and The Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra. Some recent performances abroad include a tour of Japan and three tours of Russia.
Paul Contos on saxes and flutes is a master at combining technical wizardry and musical fluidity. Paul has been a favorite of local music fans and jazz aficionados for over 30 years. A woodwind and saxophone artist extraordinaire, he continues to impress audiences with his virtuosity, versatility, clarity, and warmth of sound.
Jamie Dubberly holds a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Georgia and a Master’s degree in music from The Hartt School of Music. He has toured four continents, and over 20 countries with ensembles ranging from chamber music, symphony orchestras, Broadway-style ”pit” orchestras, to salsa and Latin jazz. He performed on national and international tours of several Broadway productions, and has formed his own band, “Orquesta Dharma”.
Clint Day has been an adjunct faculty member at Columbia College for more than 30 years. He attended Columbia College as a music major in the 80s and went on to get his Bachelors and Masters degrees at San Jose State. Among his many positions were director of Vocal Jazz at UC Berkeley and instructor of jazz piano and jazz history at several community colleges. He performs on piano as well as bass and vocals. He is a founding member of the Mic Gillette Band.
Mike Rocha, a three-time Grammy-nominated and globally acclaimed trumpeter and composer, has had a robust recording and performance career in Los Angeles. Mike has recorded on several feature films and TV shows including, Ford vs. Ferrari, The Secret Life of Pets 2, Shaft, and the Color Purple (2023), Luke Cage, Grey’s Anatomy, Riverdale, and more. Among the notable artists that Mike has played and recorded with are: Christina Aguilera, Bob Dylan, Gwen Stefani, Panic at the Disco, Lorde, Gordon Goodwin’s Big (and little!) Phat Band where he still holds the jazz soloist seat, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Nai Palm, Jeff Bernat, Postmodern Jukebox, the John Daversa Big Band, the Alan Chan Big Band, and the Vardan Ovsepian Chamber Ensemble. Mike has also performed at Coachella and the Governor’s Ball in New York. While doing all of that, Mike taught trumpet and gave lectures at Occidental College, Mount San Jacinto Community College, El Camino Community College, and MiraCosta Community College, as well as serving as acting brass coach at Harvard-Westlake High School. In addition, Mike co-led the Lappit-Rocha septet, performing his original jazz compositions all over Los Angeles and culminating with the recording of their debut album, “First Take.”
The Columbia Jazz Artist Series will continue with a Sunday, February 26, 2023 performance of the Columbia Big Band with special guest Alex Lucero at the Armory in downtown Sonora at 2 p.m. Tickets priced at $20 will be available at the door and a Mountain Bookshop in Junction in Sonora.
For additional information contact jazzseries@sbcglobal.net.
