Monterey Jazz Festival’s Monterey County All-Star Band
Kicks Off Annual Tour Of Japan, July 21 - August 3, 2009
All-Star Band Performs At 21st Monterey Jazz Festival
In Noto, July 25
All-Star Band Performs In Los Gatos
At Jazz On The Plazz, August 19
July 6, 2009; Monterey, CA; On Sunday, July 21, the Monterey Jazz Festival’s Monterey County High School All-Star Band and High School Honor Vocal Jazz Ensemble will depart for their annual summer tour of Japan.
The MJF County High School All-Star Band, directed by renowned saxophonist and flautist Mr. Paul Contos, includes the best and brightest student musicians from the Festival's home county. The twenty-one member band features the finest young jazz musicians from Monterey County, and includes students from Carmel, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Palma, Salinas, Seaside, and York high schools. Members of the All-Star Band are selected by the Festival’s “Traveling Clinicians” who visit Monterey schools once a month during the school year for one-on-one instruction in jazz. This year, the All-Star Band will celebrate the 21st anniversary of the Monterey Jazz Festival in Noto, Japan with their annual tour, which takes place from July 21 - August 3, 2009.
Members of the High School Honor Vocal Jazz Ensemble are selected by the Festival’s “Traveling Vocal Clinicians” who also visit Monterey schools once a month, coaching and tutoring young students. The eleven-member ensemble features student vocalists from six Monterey County high schools, including Carmel, Gonzalez, Marina, Monterey, Salinas, and Stevenson.
During the All-Star Band's and Vocal Jazz Ensemble’s tour of Japan, the students will participate in the Festival’s unique and exciting educational opportunities. In 2009, the band will perform at the Monterey Jazz Festival in Noto (the longest-running jazz festival in Japan) on July 25; join in various cultural exchange programs with Japanese students Nanao, Monterey’s sister city, at Nanao High School and perform a joint concert with the school’s jazz band (7/27) with another joint concert with the Swing Ace Big Band in Maebashi (7/28). The band will then travel to Tomisato, and make a performance at the Tomisato Jazz Festival (8/1).
“Although the travel in a foreign country, performances, workshops, and venues are exciting and memorable, the tour is more than just a series of concerts,” said Dr. Rob Klevan, Education Director for the Monterey Jazz Festival. “Through homestays, our students find opportunities to experience first hand another culture and they very often develop lasting friendships with their Japanese peers. The tour is truly a life-changing experience for our students."
After their return, the MJF County High School All-Star Band will also perform at Jazz on the Plazz in Los Gatos on Wednesday, August 19 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. The concert is free, and will take place at the Los Gatos Town Plaza, at the intersection of West Main Street and Santa Cruz Avenue in downtown Los Gatos. For more information, please visit www.jazzontheplazz.com.
The MJF Monterey County All-Star Band and High School Honor Vocal Jazz Ensemble’s international tours are supported by the MJF Bob Phillips Monterey County High School All-Star Band Endowment Fund; Hydeus Kiatta Fund; Jazz on the Plazz; Monterey Peninsula-Nanao Friendship Association; Pebble Beach Company Foundation; the Carmel-by-the-Sea, Corral de Tierra and Monterey Rotary Clubs; and by generous individual donors. To learn about more ways to support the All-Star Band, please visit the Monterey Jazz Festival online at www.montereyjazzfestival.org/contribute, e-mail [email protected] or call (831) 373-3366.
About Jazz on the Plazz
Now in its 6th season, Jazz on the Plazz is a free summer jazz concert series showcasing world class jazz artists. Founded by the Los Gatos Morning Rotary Club and held in the outdoor plaza in downtown Los Gatos, proceeds from the Club’s events go into their charitable foundation for use in the local community. The Club Foundation has given scholarships to students interested in studying art, architecture and drama, funded a local high school jazz band to travel to national competition and sponsored a Shakespeare Camp for young adults. www.jazzontheplazz.com
About the Monterey Jazz Festival
The Monterey Jazz Festival, founded in 1958, is a nonprofit organization and is dedicated to perpetuating the uniquely American form of music known as jazz by producing performances that celebrate the legacy and expand the boundaries of jazz; and by presenting year-round local, regional, national, and international jazz education programs. These hands-on, cutting-edge educational components include the Traveling Clinician and Latin Jazz Programs, with professional musicians visiting Monterey County schools to teach students how to play and improvise in jazz and Latin styles; the Artist-In-Residence Program, which brings a leading jazz performer to work with students throughout the year; the MJF Summer Jazz Camp, the MJF Instrument and Sheet Music Library, the MJF Digital Music Education Project, the Next Generation Festival, the Monterey County High School All-Star Band, the MJF Middle School Honor Band and MJF Vocal Jazz Ensemble, and the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.
Kicks Off Annual Tour Of Japan, July 21 - August 3, 2009
All-Star Band Performs At 21st Monterey Jazz Festival
In Noto, July 25
All-Star Band Performs In Los Gatos
At Jazz On The Plazz, August 19
July 6, 2009; Monterey, CA; On Sunday, July 21, the Monterey Jazz Festival’s Monterey County High School All-Star Band and High School Honor Vocal Jazz Ensemble will depart for their annual summer tour of Japan.
The MJF County High School All-Star Band, directed by renowned saxophonist and flautist Mr. Paul Contos, includes the best and brightest student musicians from the Festival's home county. The twenty-one member band features the finest young jazz musicians from Monterey County, and includes students from Carmel, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Palma, Salinas, Seaside, and York high schools. Members of the All-Star Band are selected by the Festival’s “Traveling Clinicians” who visit Monterey schools once a month during the school year for one-on-one instruction in jazz. This year, the All-Star Band will celebrate the 21st anniversary of the Monterey Jazz Festival in Noto, Japan with their annual tour, which takes place from July 21 - August 3, 2009.
Members of the High School Honor Vocal Jazz Ensemble are selected by the Festival’s “Traveling Vocal Clinicians” who also visit Monterey schools once a month, coaching and tutoring young students. The eleven-member ensemble features student vocalists from six Monterey County high schools, including Carmel, Gonzalez, Marina, Monterey, Salinas, and Stevenson.
During the All-Star Band's and Vocal Jazz Ensemble’s tour of Japan, the students will participate in the Festival’s unique and exciting educational opportunities. In 2009, the band will perform at the Monterey Jazz Festival in Noto (the longest-running jazz festival in Japan) on July 25; join in various cultural exchange programs with Japanese students Nanao, Monterey’s sister city, at Nanao High School and perform a joint concert with the school’s jazz band (7/27) with another joint concert with the Swing Ace Big Band in Maebashi (7/28). The band will then travel to Tomisato, and make a performance at the Tomisato Jazz Festival (8/1).
“Although the travel in a foreign country, performances, workshops, and venues are exciting and memorable, the tour is more than just a series of concerts,” said Dr. Rob Klevan, Education Director for the Monterey Jazz Festival. “Through homestays, our students find opportunities to experience first hand another culture and they very often develop lasting friendships with their Japanese peers. The tour is truly a life-changing experience for our students."
After their return, the MJF County High School All-Star Band will also perform at Jazz on the Plazz in Los Gatos on Wednesday, August 19 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. The concert is free, and will take place at the Los Gatos Town Plaza, at the intersection of West Main Street and Santa Cruz Avenue in downtown Los Gatos. For more information, please visit www.jazzontheplazz.com.
The MJF Monterey County All-Star Band and High School Honor Vocal Jazz Ensemble’s international tours are supported by the MJF Bob Phillips Monterey County High School All-Star Band Endowment Fund; Hydeus Kiatta Fund; Jazz on the Plazz; Monterey Peninsula-Nanao Friendship Association; Pebble Beach Company Foundation; the Carmel-by-the-Sea, Corral de Tierra and Monterey Rotary Clubs; and by generous individual donors. To learn about more ways to support the All-Star Band, please visit the Monterey Jazz Festival online at www.montereyjazzfestival.org/contribute, e-mail [email protected] or call (831) 373-3366.
About Jazz on the Plazz
Now in its 6th season, Jazz on the Plazz is a free summer jazz concert series showcasing world class jazz artists. Founded by the Los Gatos Morning Rotary Club and held in the outdoor plaza in downtown Los Gatos, proceeds from the Club’s events go into their charitable foundation for use in the local community. The Club Foundation has given scholarships to students interested in studying art, architecture and drama, funded a local high school jazz band to travel to national competition and sponsored a Shakespeare Camp for young adults. www.jazzontheplazz.com
About the Monterey Jazz Festival
The Monterey Jazz Festival, founded in 1958, is a nonprofit organization and is dedicated to perpetuating the uniquely American form of music known as jazz by producing performances that celebrate the legacy and expand the boundaries of jazz; and by presenting year-round local, regional, national, and international jazz education programs. These hands-on, cutting-edge educational components include the Traveling Clinician and Latin Jazz Programs, with professional musicians visiting Monterey County schools to teach students how to play and improvise in jazz and Latin styles; the Artist-In-Residence Program, which brings a leading jazz performer to work with students throughout the year; the MJF Summer Jazz Camp, the MJF Instrument and Sheet Music Library, the MJF Digital Music Education Project, the Next Generation Festival, the Monterey County High School All-Star Band, the MJF Middle School Honor Band and MJF Vocal Jazz Ensemble, and the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.
