by Timothy Rutt
Some local jazz fans and players are looking for high school and middle school students in the San Gabriel Valley to become part of the John Tirabasso Youth Jazz Ensemble.
Tirabasso was a jazz drummer who lived in Altadena, and died in 2010.
The Ensemble will start during the summer, training and mentoring young instrumental students to play jazz in a variety of venues and genres, from big band to trio.
Auditions will be held this Saturday, June 9, and next Saturday, June 16, from 10 AM-1 PM at Loma Alta Park. To rserve your audition time, contact Penny Daniels or Sam Estrada at 626-398-5451 from 9 AM-8 PM.
Wind, brass, keyboard, and mallet players should be prepared to: play a major scale (in C,G,D,A,F, B flat, or E flat); perform an etude or short prepared piece; and sight read material provided by the judges. At the judges discretion, you may be asked to improvise to a 12-bar blues progression in C.
For percussionsts. be prepared to play basic drum rudiments, keep time in 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, and 6/8 time, and play a 2, 4, and 8 measure solo. A drum set will be provided, but you must bring your own sticks.
For further information, email: Dwight Garcia at saxogeek@ymail.com
Loma Alta Park is at 3330 N. Lincoln Avenue.
