Monterey Jazz Festival Announces 2017 Next Generation Jazz Festival Results

Monterey Jazz Festival is proud to announce the results of the annual Next Generation Jazz Festival. A full list of top groups, scholarship and award winners can be found on the Festival's Web site at montereyjazzfestival.org.

In the High School Big Band Division, top honors went to Northgate High School (Walnut Creek, Calif.), Greg Brown, director, winning for the fourth year in a row. Second place went to Folsom High School Jazz Band I(Folsom, Calif.), Curtis Gaesser, director. There was a tie for third place with Buchanan High School Jazz Band 'A', (Clovis, Calif.), Paul Lucckesi, director, and Rio Americano High School AM Jazz Ensemble (Sacramento, Calif.), Josh Murray, director. All four bands will perform at the 60th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival in September. Northgate High School is only the second school to 4-peat the High School Big Band division, and is only the fourth school since 1971 to quadruple-win in any division.

In the High School Combo Division, top honors went to Crossroads School Jazz 'A' Band (Santa Monica, Calif.,Evan Avery, director. The runner-up was the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts Combo A (Los Angeles, Calif.), BrYan Lipps, director. Third place went to Hamilton High School Jazz Ensemble A, (Santa Monica, Calif.), Jim Foschia, director. Crossroads School Jazz 'A' Band will perform at the 60th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival in September.

In the High School Conglomerate Big Band Division, top honors went to the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Orchestra (San Francisco, Calif.), Paul Contos, director. The runner-up was the Colburn Jazz Workshop Big Band(Los Angeles, Calif.), Lee Secard, director. There was a tie for third place with the Tucson Jazz Institute "Ellington"Big Band (Tucson, Az.), Doug Tidaback, director, and the California Jazz Conservatory Jazzschool Studio Band (Berkeley, Calif.), Dave Eshelman, director. The SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Jazz Orchestra will perform at the 60th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival in September.

In the High School Conglomerate Combo Division, top honors went to the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Combo (San Francisco, Calif.), Dann Zinn, director. Second place went to the American Music Program Pacific Crest Jazz Combo I (Portland, Ore.), Devin Phillips, director. Third place went to the Colburn Jazz Workshop Monday Night Band (Los Angeles, Calif.), Lee Secard, director. SFJAZZ High School All-Stars Combo will perform at the 60th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival in September.

In the High School Vocal Ensemble Division, top honors went to the LA County High School for the Arts Vocal Ensemble (Los Angeles, Calif.), Pat Bass, director, winning for the third year in a row. LACHSA has won the High School Vocal Division seven times since 1997. There was a tie for the runner-up with the Folsom High School Jazz Choir I (Folsom, Calif.), Curtis Gaesser, director, and Valencia High School "Two N' Four" (Valencia, Calif.), Christine Tavares-Mocha, director. Third place went Valencia High School "Soundwaves" (Valencia, Calif.), Christine Tavares-Mocha, director. Los Angeles County High School for the Arts Vocal Ensemble, Folsom High School Jazz Choir, and Valencia High School "Two N' Four" will perform at the 60th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival in September.

In the inaugural High School Vocal Soloist Division, top honors went to Joshua Tazman (Nueva Upper School, San Francisco, Calif.) The runner-up was Benjamin Nicholas (Kingsburg High School, Kingsburg, Calif.), and third place went to Jasmine Lee (Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, Los Angeles, Calif.). Joshua Tazman will perform at the 60th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival in September.

In the College Big Band Division, there was a tie for top honors with University of Nevada, Las Vegas Jazz Ensemble (Las Vegas, Nev.), Dave Loeb, director, and the University of the Arts "Z" Big Band (Philadelphia, Pa.), Matt Gallagher, director. The runner-up California State University, Northridge Jazz A Band (Northridge, Calif.), Matt Harris, director. Third place went to Sacramento State Jazz Ensemble (Sacramento, Calif.), Steve Roach, director. The UNLV Jazz Ensemble and the University of the Arts "Z" Big Band will perform at the 60th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival in September.

In the College Vocal Ensemble Division, the top group was California State University, Sacramento Vox Now(Sacramento, Calif.), Gaw Vang-Williams, director. The runner-up was California State University, Sacramento Jazz Singers (Sacramento, Calif.), Gaw Vang-Williams, director. Third place went to Mt. San Antonio College Singcopation (Walnut, Calif.), Bruce Rogers, director California State University, Sacramento Vox Now will perform at the 60th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival in September.

In the College Combo Division, top honors went to the USC Jazz Composers Collective (Los Angeles, Calif.), Vince Mendoza, director, their first win in the division. The runner-up was the FROST Sextet from the University of Miami (Coral Gables, Fla.), Chuck Bergeron, director. Third place went to the California State University, Northridge Rainbow Sandwich (Northridge, Calif.), Matt Harris, director. USC Jazz Composers Collective will perform at the 60th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival in September.

For a complete list of top ensembles, outstanding soloists and scholarship recipients, please visit http://www.montereyjazzfestival.org/jazz-education/2017-next-generation-jazz-festival-top-groups

The Next Generation Jazz Festival Presented by Monterey Jazz Festival got off to a high-energy start on Friday, March 31, with a capacity crowd of 1000 in the Golden State Theatre for the Friday Night Judges Concert, presented by the California Jazz Conservatory, with music the Danae Greenfield Quartet from Berklee College of Music, pianist Gerald Clayton, saxophonists Joel Frahm, Tia Fuller, Gary Smulyan, Paul Contos, drummer Jeff Hamilton; trombonist John Fedchock; trumpeters Gilbert Castellanos and Jeff Jarvis, bassist John Clayton, guitarist Dan Balmer; and vocalist Carla Cook.

Saturday's activities included 79 back-to-back performances on five stages in downtown Monterey. In addition, clinics were held by Danae Greenfield, from Berklee College of Music, and Artists-In-Residence John Clayton, Gerald Clayton and Jeff Hamilton.

After nine hours of performances, students and parents packed the Golden State Theatre to hear the announcement of the top high school big bands, vocal ensembles and combos, and soloist and scholarship award winners, with a Showcase Concert later that evening was a preview of the 2017 Monterey Jazz Festival, which included performances from the top placing groups, and the One O'Clock Lab Band from the University of North Texas.

On Sunday April 2, the final divisions of the Next Generation Jazz Festival took place, with a special improvisation clinic from Alan Baylock and the lauded One O'Clock Lab Band from the University of North Texas. Middle School Division bands received best section awards including citations for California's Oak, Sutter, and Los Cerritos middle schools.

Competition continued for High School Conglomerate Big Band, College Big Band and College Vocal Ensemble, High School Conglomerate Combo, and High School Vocal Soloist divisions. History was made in the College Big Band Division with a tie for first place with UNLV and the University of the Arts Z Band, stunning the Golden State Theatre audience. The tie also reunited bandleaders David Loeb (UNLV) and Matt Gallagher (UArts) - both had both attended West Chester University of Pennsylvania together in the 1970s. This year's Next Generation Jazz Festival was marked by three different divisions having ties for first, second and third place, something that have never happened in the history of the event.

The Next Generation Jazz Festival provided free web streaming from the Golden State Theatre, De Anza Ballroom and Portola Room all weekend, available on local TV and online, broadcast by Access Monterey Peninsula.

Partners and Supporters Help Fund Next Generation Jazz Festival

The 2017 Next Generation Jazz Festival is sponsored by the City of Monterey, and the California Jazz Conservatory. Partners include Berklee College of Music, DownBeat, Inns of Monterey, Dali 17, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Remo Drumheads, Turn 12 Bar & Grill, Scheid Family Wines, Yamaha Drums, and Yamaha Pianos.

Supporters include the Arts Council for Monterey County and the S.T.A.R. Foundation. Additional support for Monterey Jazz Festival's education programs comes from D'Addario Music Foundation, William H. Donner Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Enterprise Foundation, Clarence E. Heller Foundation, Joseph Drown Foundation, Monterey Peninsula Foundation, Monterey Peninsula Volunteer Services, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Rotary Club of Monterey, Rotary Club of CarMel By the Sea, Sally Hughes Church Foundation, the Upjohn California Fund, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Yellow Brick Road Foundation.

The 48th Next Generation Jazz Festival Presented by Monterey Jazz Festival is slated for April 6-8, 2018 and will continue to draw the country's superior level student bands, vocalists, and individual musicians. The Next Generation Jazz Festival presented by Monterey Jazz Festival congratulates all the participants, fans, volunteers, parents, supporters, and donors who have helped make this special event possible every year.

For a complete list of top ensembles, outstanding soloists and scholarship recipients, please visit http://www.montereyjazzfestival.org/jazz-education/2017-next-generation-jazz-festival-top-groups