Monterey Jazz Festival Announces 2007 Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, Tour to NYC and Paris

Monterey, California--The Monterey Jazz Festival is proud to announce members of its 2007 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, the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra includes the most talented high school jazz students from all parts of the United States.

The Next Generation Jazz Orchestra (formerly known as the MJF High School All-Star Big Band from 1971-2004) nurtures the future generation of jazz stars through a program that selects the best and brightest high school jazz musicians in the country. In 2007, the 20- piece jazz orchestra features members selected from seventeen high schools from the four corners of the country, including Florida, Connecticut, Nebraska, Washington, Illinois, Oregon, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, and California. Ten states have contributed members this year in an unprecedented cross-section of the best high school jazz programs in the country.

As in the past, these students are poised to speak for their generation as loudly and clearly as their predecessors, which include pianists Benny Green and Patrice Rushen, bassist Larry Grenadier, drummer Chad Wackerman, and saxophonists Joshua Redman and Dave Koz, to name a few. The full list of 2007 NGJO members appears at the end of this press release and is available here.

Under the direction 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. The Next Generation Jazz Orchestra will embark on a summer performance tour, starting with gigs in New York City at Sweet Rhythm on Sunday July 8, and Jazz at Lincoln Center's Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola on Monday July 9. The group will then head to Paris, France for performances at the Hilton Arc de Triomphe in the heart of the City of Light from July 10 to 13, with additional performances to be announced.

“Without going into too many superlatives, this year's Next Generation Jazz Orchestra will simply be awesome," said Mr. Contos. “The collection of talent from these young musicians who are so extremely talented and highly focused in their musical development is likely to power a city's electrical grid--which may happen when we start rehearsing at Jazz at Lincoln Center in NYC, along with returning performances at two of New York's finest jazz venues, Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola (at Lincoln Center), and Sweet Rhythm."

“The orchestra will then travel to play in Paris, France where the jazz scene currently is experiencing a renaissance in jazz culture and performance," continued Contos. “The French audience will absolutely appreciate the fresh and exciting voices of the NGJO, and these young players benefit from getting true “savoir faire", and first hand experience of life on the road, provided by the Monterey Jazz Festival."

Culminating their tenure in the band, the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra will perform with special guest trumpeter and MJF Artist-In- Residence Terence Blanchard on the Arena/Lyons Stage on September 23 during this year's 50th Monterey Jazz Festival presented by Verizon.

Members of the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra were selected through a rigorous audition process that included review by a national panel of judges comprised of professional jazz musician/educators. The Monterey Jazz Festival invited interested students to audition for the NGJO via video tape or in-person, during MJF's 3rd Annual Next Generation Festival, March 22-25 in downtown Monterey.

The Monterey Jazz Festival is also proud to announce the winner of the Next Generation Festival's prestigious Big Band Composition Competition, Levi Saelua. Mr. Saelua is a junior at Rio Americano High School in Sacramento, California, and plays alto saxophone with the Rio Americano Big Band. The winning composition, “Spectrum", will be given its MJF premiere on the Arena/Lyons Stage of the Monterey Jazz Festival by the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra on Sunday September 23. Mr. Saelua will also receive a $1000 prize and new music writing software from Sibelius.

For more information about the NGJO, please visit www.montereyjazzfestival.org. To purchase tickets for the Sweet Rhythm on 7/8, call 212-255-3626 or visit www.sweetrhythmny.com. For reservations and tickets for the JALC's Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola on 7/9, please visit www.jalc.org or call 212-258-9595.

The 2007 Next Generation Jazz Orchestra

Director-Mr. Paul Contos

Saxophones
Edwin Barbash-alto, North Carolina School of the Arts, Winston-Salem, NC
John Palowitch-alto, Amador Valley High School, Pleasanton, CA
Adam Larson-tenor, University High School, Normal, IL
Thomas Wilson-tenor, Clovis West High School, Fresno, CA
Owen Broder-baritone, North Carolina School of the Arts, Winston- Salem, NC

Trombones
Isaac Kaplan, Long Beach Polytechnic High School, Long Beach, CA
Ivan Malespin, New World School of the Arts, Miami, FL
Javier Nero, Evergreen High School, Vancouver, WA
Miles Perry (bass), Westside High School, Omaha, NE
Stephen Szabadi, Eagle Rock High School, Los Angeles, CA

Trumpets
Aaron Bahr, Campolindo High School, Moraga, CA
Kevin Early, Las Vegas Academy, Las Vegas, NV
Nick Frenay, Manlius Pebble Hill School, DeWitt, NY
JJ Kirkpatrick, Arts & Communication Magnet Academy, Beaverton, OR
Joel Luxenberg, Arts & Communication Magnet Academy, Beaverton, OR

Rhythm
Sam Reider-piano, Urban School of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Jeff Picker-bass, Arts & Communication Magnet Academy, Beaverton, OR
Jeff Stein-guitar, Monte Vista High School, Danville, CA
Jake Goldbas-drums, Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, Hartford, CT
Adam Starkopf-drums, Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, Los Angeles, CA