Monterey Jazz Festival Announces Members of 2010 Next Generation Jazz Orchestra

The Monterey Jazz Festival announced the members of the 2010 Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, the Festival's internationally-renowned high school all-star big band. Created as a part of the Monterey Jazz Festival's continuing commitment to jazz education and selected through an application process during MJF’s Next Generation Jazz Festival each spring, the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra includes the most talented high school jazz students from all regions of the United States.

A three-year grant from the Surdna Foundation supports the Next Generation Festival and the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra's U.S. and international tours. The Surdna Foundation’s Arts Program is national in scope and supports the artistic advancement of teens, ages 12 - 18.

Formerly known as the MJF High School All-Star Big Band (from 1971-2004), the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra represents the future generation of jazz stars through a program that selects the best and brightest high school jazz musicians in the country.

Former members of the Orchestra include pianists Benny Green and Patrice Rushen, bassist Larry Grenadier, drummer Chad Wackerman, saxophonists Joshua Redman, Eric Marienthal, Dave Koz, trombonist Andy Martin, and big band leader Gordon Goodwin to name a few. In the past, the band has been under the leadership of Ladd McIntosh, Don Schramber, Benny Golson, Bill Berry, and many more.

Now under the tutelage of Mr. Paul Contos, the renowned saxophonist and flautist who serves as the director of the Orchestra, the ensemble is dedicated to the study and performance of the most challenging big band literature available. Orchestra members are selected through a rigorous audition process that includes review by a national panel of judges comprised of professional jazz musicians and educators. The Monterey Jazz Festival invited interested students to audition for the NGJO via video tape or in person, during MJF's 6th Annual Next Generation Jazz Festival, held April 9 – 11, 2010 in downtown Monterey.

In 2010, there are nine returning members for the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, including saxophonists Andrew Olson (Tualatin High School, Tualatin, Oregon) and Maximillian Zooi (Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, Los Angeles, California); trombonists Kyle Molitor (Tigard High School, Tigard, Oregon), Jon Hatamiya (Davis Senior High School, Davis, California), John Egizi (Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, Los Angeles, California) and Emmanuel Rojas (Warren High School, Downey, California); trumpeters Joshua Gawel (Daniel Boone Area High School, Birdsboro, Pennsylvania) Noah Hocker (American Music Program, Portland, Oregon); and vocalist Ben Lusher (The Masters School, Dobbs Ferry, New York). John Egizi and Emmanual Rojas are three-time members of the band this year.

All together, twenty-one high school musicians from six states comprise the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, including eleven students from California, five from Oregon, two from New York, and one each from Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Members of the band from California represent six counties, including Alameda, Los Angeles, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Yolo counties.

After obtaining a place in the Orchestra, members gather for one weekend in the summer to begin rehearsals in preparation for a domestic or international tour. Previous tour destinations for the Orchestra have included stops at festivals and various venues in Canada, Japan, Australia, and Europe, including recent performances at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City, and the Paris Hilton in France (2007); the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, The Netherlands (2008); and a 10-day U.S. tour from Kansas City to Washington D.C. (2009). In 2010, the band will perform a North American Tour, which includes performances in Cleveland, Toronto, Montreal, and New York City, from June 30 - July 7, 2010.

“The Next Generation Jazz Orchestra’s 10-day Tri-C to NYC 2010 summer tour should prove to be truly memorable,” said Dr. Rob Klevan, Education Director for the Monterey Jazz Festival. “Beginning with our first performance, which will take place at the newly renovated Hanna Theater in Cleveland, (home of Sean Jones and the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra), we’ll share the stage with the Tri-C All-Star Band and special guest Dominick Farinacci. Then, armed with passports in hand, we take Canada by storm with performances slated at the Rex Hotel and Toronto Jazz Festival in Toronto, and the Montreal Jazz Festival. Finally, back to the USA for two sets at New York City’s famed Jazz Standard, where they have great BBQ as well. It should really be fun, and personally, I can’t wait!”

The Next Generation Jazz Orchestra will also make their traditional Sunday appearance at the 53rd Annual Monterey Jazz Festival Presented by Verizon on September 19, 2010, with MJF Artist-In-Residence Dianne Reeves sitting as a special guest.
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About the Monterey Jazz Festival

The Monterey Jazz Festival 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. The Monterey Jazz Festival is a nonprofit organization and has donated its proceeds to musical education since its inception in 1958.

A three-year grant from the Surdna Foundation supports the Next Generation Festival and the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra's U.S. and international tours. The Surdna Foundation’s Arts Program is national in scope and supports the artistic advancement of teens, ages 12 - 18.

Additional financial support for the Next Generation Festival comes from organizations such as the Joseph Drown Foundation, the D’Addario Music Foundation with gifts-in-kind from Yamaha, DownBeat Magazine, Rico Reeds, and generous individual contributors. For more information about the NGJO, please visit http://www.montereyjazzfestival.org/2010/NGJO/

Tickets for the 53rd Annual Monterey Jazz Festival presented by Verizon September 17 - 19 in Monterey, California are available by phone at (925) 275-9255 and online at montereyjazzfestival.org.

2010 NEXT GENERATION JAZZ ORCHESTRA MEMBERS
Director - Mr. Paul Contos
Read the bios of the 2010 NGJO members.

Saxophones
Andrew Olson** - alto / Tualatin High School, Tualatin, OR
Jillian Ryan - alto / Marin School of the Arts, Novato, CA
Maximillian Zooi** - tenor / Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, Los Angeles, CA
Eli Aleinikoff - tenor / Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, Bethesda, MD
Jasper Dutz - baritone / Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, Los Angeles, CA

Trombones
Kyle Molitor** / Tigard High School, Tigard, OR
Jon Hatamiya** / Davis Senior High School, Davis, CA
John Egizi*** / Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, Los Angeles, CA
Chris Palowitch / Amador Valley High School, Pleasanton, CA
Emmanuel Rojas*** - bass / Warren High School, Downey, CA

Trumpets
Joshua Gawel** / Daniel Boone Area High School, Birdsboro, PA
Noah Hocker** / American Music Program, Portland, OR
Tree Palmedo / Oregon Episcopal School, Portland, OR
Sam Neufeld / Nicolet High School, Glendale, WI
Benjamin Kreitman / Jazzschool Studio Band, Berkeley, CA

Rhythm
Ted Case - piano / American Music Program, Portland, OR
Zachary Ostroff - bass / The Branson School, Ross, CA
Gabe Schnider - guitar / Poughkeepsie Day School, Poughkeepsie, NY
Malachi Whitson - drums / SFJAZZ High School All-Stars, San Francisco, CA
Scott Lowrie - drums / Aragon High School, San Mateo, CA
Ben Lusher** - vocals / The Masters School, Dobbs Ferry, NY

** 2-time member of NGJO
*** 3-time member of NGJO
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2010 Next Generation Jazz Orchestra North American Tour Dates:

From Tri-C to NYC

June 30: Cleveland - Hanna Theater - 7:00 pm, special guest, Dominick Farinacci www.playhousesquare.org

July 1: Toronto - Rex Hotel - 3:00pm www.jazzintoronto.com

July 2: Toronto Jazz Festival - Nathan Phillips Square, Festival Mainstage - 1:00pm http://torontojazz.com

July 5: Montreal Jazz Festival - Rio Tinto Alcan Stage - 12:00 noon www.montrealjazzfest.com

July 7: New York City - Jazz Standard - 2 sets, 7:30 / 9:30pm www.jazzstandard.net

September 19: Monterey Jazz Festival, Jimmy Lyons Stage, 1:00pm