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2011

April
We are pleased to announce that the Channel Cities Jazz Club will be sponsoring the following 4 students from Ventura High School for the 2011 summer jazz camp at Sacramento: Asa Tabor, trumpet, Nic Ming, baritone sax, Nate Rowley, drums & trumpet, and Christian Bennett, bass & bass guitar. All four have been formally accepted to the camp. Kudos to these students and to Jim Holbrook for his dedicated support of this summer program.

The following are notes from our 2011 Jazz Camp participants:

My time at Sac. Jazz Camp was not only helpful in my jazz but it was also incredibly fun. I thought that the most clear thing I remember about this camp was that the staff was phenomenal and their dedication to music was inspiring. The music that was played there was very historical and fun. I didn't just learn how to improvise a lot better than before, I also learned how to play
this music with soul and how to play it correctly. The other students there were very nice also, there were fun activities to do also, not all music, which can be relieving for some people. They had jam sets at night which was where we just played with anyone who was there and played music with each other and improvised a lot. The saxophone tutor that I had came all the way from Florida which made me feel very honored to have him playing with us. I also learned that a strong and full rhythm section is very nice and makes everything easier. An overall evaluation of this camp is that it was very fun and that it taught me a lot.

Thanks, Channel Cities Jazz Club,
~Nic Ming

I had the great opportunity to be able to go to the Sacramento traditional jazz camp this summer and my experience there was something I will never forget. When I arrived there the first thing we had to do was audition for the band that we were to play in for the week. We played a twelve bar Bb blues progression and everyone improvised off that. It was cool to experience something like that because I have never done anything like that before for an audition. The next day we were put into our bands and when we started our first rehearsal, we had to prepare for a performance that night. The songs we practiced were so much fun to play and I really learned a lot from our band director, Eddie Ericson. Every night all the bands had to play at least one song in front of the camp to prepare them for the final performance on Saturday. My band played four very fun songs for our final performance and it was a really fun time. The whole week was a great experience for me and my jazz career. I’m planning to use all the methods that I was taught to help make me a better trumpet player and musician all around. I would like to thank the Channel Cities Jazz Club for giving me the scholarship to go to this great camp. I hope other kids get to enjoy what I experienced and learned at the camp and I am grateful that the club is kind enough to sponsor kids who would really enjoy a week of great fun and great jazz.

~Asa Tabor
Channel Cities Jazz Club,

Thank you so much for sending me to the Sacramento jazz camp. It was probably one of my biggest learning experiences of the year. When I first arrived at the main office in Sacramento I was unsure and a bit nervous but I got along with the kids there right away. When the bus arrived at the camp I was treated with the same kindness. I think my favorite part about the camp is that you get to meet so many other people who play the same instruments and have similar goals to yours. The first audition at the camp was a lot of fun because it was basically just jamming and soloing, the second audition was very hard because the competition for bassist and drummers was very stiff.
The bass teacher, Mr. Westy, probably taught me more about the bass than anybody I had previously worked with. Once in groups the days became a lot of work because you would wake up early and go to bed late and you had to prepare three songs to perform each night. The camp activities were also a lot of fun. In the daytime we would go on hikes to rivers and go in the water or jam on campus. One night there was even a dance that everyone went to, by the end I was exhausted from a week of fun and learning. The week ended with a camp concert on Sat. night that was a great experience!

Thanks again for the opportunity,
~Christian Michael Bennett



October
Freda’s View at the Jazz Club
  It’s September 18th, Sunday, and a fine time once again to spend an afternoon with the CCJC family at the Oxnard Elks Lodge here in the center of town. There’s a big parade in the city today so I’m not so sure how many of our friends and members will forge their ways through the crowds and street barricades to get here. Still, the show must go on as it does, time after time
each Sunday come rain, come shine, or the fact that I’m looking at the backside of a parade horse and driving 2 miles per hour to make to 8th and A today. But it’s all worth it to see you, my good friends of the CCJC.  Upon entering the big hall, there on stage already is a nice surprise. It’s our Youth Band. I say “our” Youth Band because we sent several of these young folks to the Summer Jazz Camp and now they are here putting on a show for us. It’s all a good reminder of our stated purpose. We’ve committed to hand the music down from generation to generation as one important means of keeping this wonderful art-form called JAZZ kicking and thriving.  No question this young group is developing to be real “Jazzers”. I can see the proud faces of the parents and supporting members all around the room as this seven-member group performs. Just after their set, I rush to get contact information on each to be sure they get the chance to read about themselves here and see the video recording we’ll soon upload of their performance. As I step over to trumpet player, Asa Tabor, I hear his Dad say “I’m so proud of you, son”, and he gives him a strong hug. (I think to myself, “It’s this kind of support that has helped this group of young performers reach their present level of accomplishment”) So nice to see and feel it firsthand coming from a proud parent.  In the group are Nate Rowley and Asa Tabor on trumpets, Nic Ming on baritone sax, Dru Blossom on trombone, Christian Bennett on bass, Colleen Edwards on drums, with Eleanor Bakewell doing the vocals. The group of six musicians provided solid support for Eleanor as she displayed her own unique soft feel for her tunes including “It’s A Good Day”, “Why Don’t You Do Right", and “Cow Cow Boogie To this young group of musicians, I extend my personal encouragement! Stay together, keep building the repertoire, keep learning and keep comin’ back to perform for us at the CCJC — reminds us of one of the reasons we come together! And get this! I hear the group has already landed a private back-yard gig today. They’ll be playing at the home of Jim and Jess Holbrook. Way to go, gang!

More Letters From Jazz Campers

My experiences at camp were ones I'll never forget. The travel there was long and tiresome, but the surprises I received at camp were well worth the wait. We were put into great cabins with lots of new people to meet, lots of new friends. Every day we got a chance to play, practice and perform great pieces of jazz music, watch as professional musicians play even greater pieces of music, and even jam with fellow camp members. We were served food every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and even could buy snacks from the camp store. The instructors were great, and had vital skills to share with all the aspiring players at camp. Not to mention the fun things to do outside of lessons, performances, and jamming. There were many things to do every day, including a bunch of nonmusical things: Campers could go on a hike, go to a dance, play ping pong or basketball, and also compete in many band vs band games that are too silly to describe.
All in all, the Sacramento Jazz Camp is a camp for everyone to enjoy, offering a rich sense of fun, positive moral, and culture.

Thank you, Channel Cities Jazz Club.

Sincerely,
~Nate Rowley


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