BRATTLEBORO — The Vermont Jazz Center (VJC) invites the community to celebrate the culmination of its fall semester at the Student Showcase on Saturday, Dec. 6, from noon to 5 p.m. Over the course of the afternoon, nine ensembles will share the results of three months of study, rehearsal, and collaboration. Listeners can expect a mix of jazz standards, Latin jazz, samba percussion, vocal harmonies, improvisational forays and spirited tunes from the Blue Note era.
This performance tradition highlights the depth of talent within the VJC’s education program, bringing together musicians of all ages and backgrounds, according to a news release. The event is free and open to the public; a suggested $5 donation supports the VJC Scholarship Fund, which awards more than $17,000 annually to help make jazz education accessible to all.
The Saturday afternoon performance will kick off at 12:30 p.m. with the Fearless Improv group. Led by legendary horn player John Clark, this ensemble encourages musicians of all backgrounds to explore creative expression through composing, analyzing, and improvising in a welcoming, community setting.
At 1 p.m., the VJC Sextet, the VJC’s flagship outreach group, will perform swinging arrangements they use to liven up area schools, community centers, and senior living facilities.
At 1:30 p.m., Sambaganza, the VJC’s samba ensemble, will perform their percussion arrangements of Brazilian rhythms.
At 2 p.m., two Youth Jazz Ensembles will perform repertoires of classic jazz tunes. These groups of students hail from Brattleboro Union High School, Leland and Gray Union Middle/High School and the Marlboro School. They will be presenting a repertoire of jazz classics and exciting arrangements that fuse Latin rhythms, and swing and bebop. All participants will improvise.
At 3 p.m. the Soubrettes, a choir led by Anna Patton will present a fresh take on American swing-era songs, combining close-harmony vocals with poignant and humorous lyrics.
The Latin Jazz Ensemble follows at 3:30 p.m. This large group combines to perform infectious grooves from Latin America and the Caribbean. The instrumentation includes a frontline of violin, saxophones, flute and two trumpets with a powerhouse, five-piece rhythm section.
Closing out the afternoon, starting at 4 p.m., drummer Claire Arenius will direct two groups performing the soulful, hard-driving jazz sound made famous by Blue Note Records.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.reformer.com ’
