SETTING SAIL TO WAIL : VALLEY PUPILS TO PLAY SEABORNE JAZZ SHOW.Byline: Jeanne Mariani-Belding Daily News Staff Writer Puffing on his tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax. It is perhaps the most well known of all saxophones and is a transposing instrument, pitched in the key of B♭, and written as a transposing instrument in the until his cheeks turned red, 12-year-old Justin Cannon was giving it his all during band practice Wednesday. Justin and the rest of the members of the Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies' Jazz Band have been playing hard, gearing up for two big performances at the Monterey Jazz Festival Debuting on October 3, 1958, the Monterey Jazz Festival (MJF) is one of the longest consecutively running jazz festivals. It was co-founded by San Francisco jazz radio broadcaster Jimmy Lyons and his colleague, journalist Ralph J. Gleason. at Sea. The Sherman Oaks crew will set sail today on the three-day cruise that will take them from San Pedro to Vancouver, British Columbia British Columbia, province (2001 pop. 3,907,738), 366,255 sq mi (948,600 sq km), including 6,976 sq mi (18,068 sq km) of water surface, W Canada. Geography - and hook them up with some big name jazz greats. ``I'm a little nervous about doing well, but I think we will,'' said Justin, who will be the youngest performer in the festival's history. ``I'm looking forward to seeing the other jazz bands play and just having some fun,'' the seventh-grader said, noting that this will be by far his biggest musical gig. The Sherman Oaks jazz band is one of 10 bands or choirs from California high schools and universities selected to play at this year's jazz festival Noun 1. jazz festival - a festival that features performances by jazz artists festival, fete - an organized series of acts and performances (usually in one place); "a drama festival" at sea. The Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies (also Sherman Oaks CES or SOCES) is a (magnet) public school in the San Fernando Valley, Southern California, United States. , which includes students in grades four through 12, was the only Los Angeles-area school to make the cut from a field of 25 applicants, festival officials said. The floating jazz fest Jazz fest may mean:
The band will play two concerts, one with saxophonist Lanny Morgan, and the other with trumpeter Bobby Shew Bobby Shew (born March 4, 1941) is a renowned jazz trumpet and flugelhorn player. Biography Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Bobby Shew began playing the guitar at the age of eight and switched to the trumpet at the age of ten. . Veteran jazz musicians Les McCann Les McCann (born September 23, 1935, Lexington, Kentucky) is a soul jazz piano player and vocalist whose biggest successes came as a crossover artist into R&B and soul. In 1969, Atlantic Records released Swiss Movement , Roy Hargrove and Joe Henderson are among the headliners for this year's festival. ``The opportunity is just overwhelming,'' said Sam Baltimore, director of the jazz band. ``Not only will they hear excellent jazz bands, there are also clinics on board where they can study with some of these guys and have one-on-one sessions.'' The Monterey Festival at Sea, which started in 1994 and sails every other year, has a unique educational focus, said Bill Lutt, the festival's education coordinator. ``It's really a unique opportunity, and we're hoping that the exposure and rubbing elbows with the best pros in the jazz world will give these kids a sense of confidence so that they can realize their dreams to become professional musicians,'' said Lutt. Baltimore and his jazz band recorded a demo tape in March and sent it to festival officials. The next day he received a fax notifying him that a panel of judges Panel of Judges is an indie pop band from Melbourne, Australia. Members
``I felt great, and I thought it would be a great way to culminate a lot of hard work. It's a wonderful treat for the kids,'' said Baltimore, also chairman of the school's Visual and Performing Arts Department and a professional jazz musician. Nervous and anxious about the festival, the jazz band held its last on-campus practice Wednesday, the excitement resonating in their music. Taking a break from belting out notes to the ``The Girl From Ipanema'' during practice, 16-year-old trumpet player Tom Peters said he's ready for the festival. ``I'm excited about the whole thing. This is going to be really cool. I really want to get some of these great musicians to give me some hints on how they play so well,'' the Tarzana teen-ager said. Peters says he's not sure if he'll make the big time - but he'll certainly keep trying. ``I'm never going to give up playing. I'll probably end up playing in a nightclub somewhere,'' he said. Seventh-grader Daniel Rizik-Baer has been jazzed about this cruise for months now. Daniel, 13, who plays tenor saxophone behind his buddy Justin, said he's ready to set sail (Naut.) to unfurl or spread the sails; hence, to begin a voyage. See also: Sail . ``It's going to be so much fun,'' Daniel said, with a sly grin. ``I'm looking forward to playing with Lanny Morgan and Bobby Shew and having fun - and all the food.'' The 18-member Sherman Oaks Jazz band includes Justin, Daniel, Ben Motz, Alex Cherny and David Kent on saxophones; and Tom, Micah Poehlmann, Graham Wintzer and Airez Baharouzi on trumpets. Also in the band are trombone trombone [Ital.,=large trumpet], brass wind musical instrument of cylindrical bore, twice bent on itself, having a sliding section that lengthens or shortens it and thus regulates the pitch. The descendant of the sackbut, it was developed in the 15th cent. players John Alvarez and Chris Belarmino; Lawrence Lowe on drums; percussionist Justin Bond; Rachel Hollander on digital bass; pianist Stephanie Judy; and vocalists Allison Lowry and Haven Burton. Robert Rountree works the sound system for the band. To cover their costs, the band held several fund-raisers. They hustled hot dogs and lasagna, held concerts, and hit up the school's booster club for funds. All told, the group, raised $13,000 - leaving it with enough left over to rent some snazzy snaz·zy adj. snaz·zi·er, snaz·zi·est Slang Fashionable or flashy. [Origin unknown.] snaz tuxedos for the event, Baltimore said. Justin, who has been playing the sax since he was 9, said he's as ready as he'll ever be. ``I just want to do a good job at the performance and learn a lot from the other jazz bands and see how they play. It's going to be fun and it's also going to be a challenge,'' he said. CAPTION(S): 2 Photos PHOTO (1 -- color) The Sherman Oaks Center for EnrichedStudies' jazz band and director were invited to the Monterey Jazz Festival at Sea. (2 -- color) Justin Cannon, left, Daniel Rizik-Baer and Ben Motz practice Wednesday for the three-day cruise-concert. Evan Yee/Daily News |
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