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Ensemble 2009-2010

Directed by Scott Dailey


Alto Sax
Francesca DeCristofaro
Liam Collins

Tenor Sax
Harrison Reinisch
Ben Lee

Baritone Sax
Joe Glass-Katz

Trombone
Jonah Levine
Jamie Dunkle
Jack Lee
Francisco Avila

Trumpet
James Gillum
Marshall Hooper
Nick Dale
Danny Bennett
Mozes Janse

Piano
Geoffrey Lee
Nick Lamb

Flute
Elena Pinderhighes

Violin
Lea Wollenberg
Arianna Isolani

Guitar
Joel Mandella
Jonah Udall

Vibraphone
Grant Milliken

Bass
Erik Shiboski
Brian Timar

Drums
James Small
Harry Meyerson

Percussion
Lev Facher

Past Ensembles

BHS Jazz Ensemble 2008-2009
BHS Jazz Ensemble 2007-2008
BHS Jazz Ensemble 2006-2007
BHS Jazz Ensemble 2005-2006
BHS Jazz Ensemble 2004-2005
BHS Jazz Ensemble 2003-2004
BHS Jazz Ensemble 2002-2003
BHS Jazz Ensemble 2001-2002
BHS Jazz Ensemble 2000-2001
BHS Jazz Ensemble 1999-2000
BHS Jazz Ensemble 1998-1999


Combos 2009-2010

Combo A
Jonah Levine - trombone
James Gillum - trumpet
Elena Pinderhughes - flute
Nick Lamb - piano
Erik Shiboski - bass
James Small - drums

Combo 1
Jamie Dunkle - trombone
Ben Lee - tenor saxophone
Zak King - alto saxophone
Geoffrey Lee - piano
Joel Mandella - guitar
Erik Shiboski - bass
Lev Facher - drums

Combo 3
Grant Milliken - piano
Harrison Reinisch - tenor saxophone
Erik Shiboski - bass
Harry Meyerson - drums

Vocal Jazz Combo
Alex Johnson - piano
Marshall Hooper - trumpet
Hugo Shiboski - alto saxophone
Max Hirtz-Wolf - bass
Austin Perkins - drums


Lab Band II 2009-2010

Directed by Scott Dailey

Alto Sax
Hugo Shiboski
Tyler Kim-Hayes
Gen Daniels
Ryan Dickerhoff
Ben Jones
Rick Gentry

Tenor Sax
Trey Daniels
Bronson Klimala-York

Baritone Sax
Brandon Howard

Trombone
Francisco Avila
Jaxk Lee
Brian Timar

Trumpet
Jonah Baker-McCann
Camilo Vilaseca
Kevin Lynn
Arturo Rossi-Goldthorpe

Piano
Michael Orenstein
Fred Callaway

Guitar
Sam Klein-Markman
Dylan Burton
Matt Bussa
Isaac Butler-Brown
Nick Logan
Simon Patanjo

Bass
Brian Timar
Michael Cusack
Jacob Hirsch
Andre Shoch

Drums
Marcelo Bourque-Perez
Jordan Davis
Jake Sousa

Lab Band I 2009-2010

Directed by Scott Dailey

Sax
Justin Murdock
Tan Saavedra

Trumpet
Kristada Pandit

Piano
Kai Nakajima
Giorgio Panagos

Guitar
Will Morris
Hamza Alarbesh
Nick Bielak

Bass
Max Hirtz-Wolf

Drums
Peter O'Neill
Spencer Stevens
Matt Marletta
Cornelius Pickett
Spencer Stevens
Kristina Lee


Alumni


History

Jazz first came into Berkeley's schools in 1966 when Herb Wong, principal of Washington Elementary, started a small jazz class at his school. He gained support from three gifted musicians with an interest in education: Phil Hardymon, a renowned jazz musician, composer, and educator; pianist, Dick Whittington, and fellow musician and BUSD music teacher, Bob Chacona. Because no one had tried to teach jazz to such young students, Hardymon and Whittington had to develop their own materials for students to play. The inspired collaboration worked, and by the early 70's, all schools in Berkeley had jazz bands.

When Hardymon became the band director at Berkeley High School in 1975, he established the jazz band as the culmination for students who had gained the basics in their elementary and middle schools. Under Hardymon's leadership, the band began winning state-wide jazz competitions and often earned a spot at the Monterey Jazz Festival. The Berkeley Jazz Program thus developed into a national model of instrumental education.

Charles Hamilton took over leadership of the Jazz Ensemble in 1981. The band continued to thrive and develop some of the best musicians in the jazz world, including Peter Apfelbaum, Ben Ball, Will Bernard, Dave Ellis, Rodney Franklin, Kito Gamble, Benny Green, Craig Handy, Jessica Jones, Josh Jones, David Murray, Miles Perkins, Lenny Pickett, Josh Redman and Michael Wolff. When Dave Ellis graduated and went to the Berklee College of Music in Boston, he was asked by several people who had heard all the great players coming from here,"What is it out there, you got something in the water?"(S.F. Bay Guardian)

The band's existence as the "indisputable jewel in Berkeley's musical crown" [S.F. Bay Guardian] was jeopardized in 1994 when the BUSD, faced with an overwhelming deficit, voted to eliminate the elementary instrumental program. It was clear that the blossoming program at Berkeley High could not survive without its roots in the elementary school program.In six months time, support from community and parents raised over $300,000 to continue the program! Soon thereafter, Berkeley voters added music education to the programs funded by the supplemental property parcel tax measure known as BSEP - the Berkeley Schools Excellence Project.

Since that time, the Ensemble has performed in venues large and small. In 1997, they performed by invitation at the Montreux and North Sea Jazz Festivals. In the summer of 1999, the Ensemble toured Japan. and began the 1999-2000 school year with an appearance at the Monterey Jazz Festival. "Members of the Jazz Ensemble stood out wherever they went,'" said the Oakland Tribune: "A multicultural rainbow...What dazzles is their talent."

"One of the cool things about being in the band, for me--and this is true for everybody, I'm sure--is that it's one of the only things at Berkeley High that truly has people from all over the place. You don't get that in the other departments." Abe Katz-Milder, BHS '99.

In 2009, Scott Dailey became the new Director of the Berkeley High Jazz Program, beginning a new era in the history of jazz at Berkeley High School.


Support Committee

The parents of Jazz Ensemble members are committed to preserving the glorious jazz tradition that has been a hallmark of the Berkeley High Jazz program since its inception over 25 years ago. We believe the support that comes from being part of this "jazz family" helps students, not only in their quest for musical excellence, but in all areas of their individual and collective growth.

As Phil Hardymon put it: "Just the discipline it takes to play with other people, to get your notes to the same place where the other people are--boy, it's hard. There's no letup; the pressure is on from here to the end of the piece. It demands full concentration, full intellectual use of your brain. As far as I'm concerned ,it's the strongest discipline in the world.'"(S.F. Bay Guardian)

The Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble Parent Support Committee believes the arts are a crucial component to a well-rounded education and wants to make the arts an integral part of each kindergarten through 12th grade student's day. We see the Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble as part of a greater arts program at Berkeley High and we support the Performing Arts Department in whatever ways are needed.

The Ensemble's director, Scott Dailey, sets the stage with a full performance and competition schedule each year. The Parent Support Committee provides behind-the-scenes assistance, logistics, and transportation to facilitate these concert/competition appearances for students and the community to enjoy. The Committee also plans and orchestrates fund raising events to provide the financial support required for these exciting jazz opportunities.

We also support the Jazz Lab Band which develops the musical skills of students interested in big band jazz who may later audition for the Jazz Ensemble. We also make scholarships available for jazz students representing Berkeley High School in state and national jazz honor bands. No student musician should be denied these opportunities for lack of funds. We also support the Berkeley High Performing and Visual Arts programs by contributing, whenever our fund raising allows, to the general performing arts fund of the Berkeley High School Development Group.


Contact

Berkeley High School Jazz
P.0. Box 1027
Berkeley, CA 94701
berkeleyjazz@comcast.net


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