Update your calendars!

There are a few updates to the jazz calendar you ought to know about.

Our next parent meeting on 10/2 will start at 7pm instead of the usual 7:30pm. We’ll have a special guest, Assistant Principal Roy Merca. Mr. Merca will talk about volunteer chaperone guidelines, with a focus on overnight field trips. If you’re considering being a chaperone on a trip this year (please do, we are going to need chaperones), you should attend this meeting. SPS requires that every potential chaperone have a meeting with a school administrator to discuss chaperone guidelines. This parent meeting is an efficient way to fulfill this requirement!

Jazz Bands 3 and 4 perform at Tula’s on Tuesday October 16th. Musicians should arrive at 7pm; the performance begins at 7:30pm. Yep, you should make reservations for the show, and there is a $12 cover charge for non-performers. Directors Mark Taylor and Michael Van Bebber will have more details for us soon.

All jazz students are invited to a workshop, led by drummer Allison Miller and pianist Dawn Clement, on Saturday October 20th from 1-4pm, in the RHS band room. The focus will be on the rhythm section and smaller combos. Knowing these two musician educators, there will be something for everyone, so horn players and vocalists should consider attending too!

The October jam session at Stone Way Café has been moved to Wednesday October 24th, 7:30-9:30pm. So, no jam on 10/17. Come a week later, 10/24, instead.

On Saturday, October 27th, Jazz Bands 3 and 4 will attend the Edmonds Jazz Symposium at Mountlake Terrace High School. Students may also want to check out the JazzED College Summit and Audition Workshop being held that same day at Mountlake Terrace High School. Note that for anyone not in JB3 or JB4, there is a separate registration and payment with JazzED required if you wish to attend the College Summit event. (JB3 and JB4 kids can attend without a separate payment and registration, since they are officially registered with the festival.)

Finally, on Monday, October 29th, Jazz Band 1 performs with pianist Jovino Santos Neto as part of the Earshot Jazz Festival. The show starts at 7pm in the Roosevelt High School Theater. Get your tickets now and come on out for a great evening of jazz.

Earshot! Jovino Santos Neto and Jazz Band I

Director Scott Brown and Jazz Band I have the honor of playing in this year’s Earshot Jazz Festival with Earshot Resident Artist Jovino Santos Neto. You’re not going to want to miss this one! Tickets are on sale now at the
Earshot Festival website.

While you’re at it, check out the rest of the Earshot Festival schedule. Alas, Kamasi Washington has already sold out but there’s a lot more great music to hear. Get out there!

2018-19 Tentative Jazz Ensemble Rehearsal Schedules and More!

We’re all wishing for another month of summer but alas, September is fast upon us. Some of us might prefer to bury our heads in the sand and ignore the inevitable, but others are likely starting to feel the need to get organized, make lists, stock up on supplies, and fill in calendars. For you, the organizers, we have some tentative jazz ensemble rehearsal schedules, a program-wide calendar full of tentative dates, a list of open jazz boosters volunteer positions, performance attire details, the Roosevelt Jazz Code of Conduct and more.

2018-2019 Ensemble Placements

Regarding Roosevelt Jazz Auditions…

We want to sincerely thank ALL of the students who auditioned for Roosevelt Jazz ensembles. We had a RECORD turnout of players and singers!

For those of you who were not placed in an ensemble… KEEP PLAYING! We encourage you to participate in our monthly JAM SESSIONS at the Stone Way Café. We are also hoping to start a combo-type workshop to help players develop their skills, especially in the area of jazz improvisation and small group playing.

For those of you who did not “get” the ensemble you wanted… work hard and be a dedicated, positive and motivated member of the band you’re in! Some of you indicated only one choice for ensemble placements; we took you at your word. In the case of two players who were very close in skill-level, we used seniority as a tie-breaker. We also did our best to create strong sections in all of our bands (we need trombones!).

Many of our players demonstrated strong technical facility on their instruments, but TONE PRODUCTION and the ABILITY TO SWING are areas that need much improvement. Even some of our most advanced players are still not really swinging. PITCH ACCURACY is tremendously important; way too many players played incorrect or out of tune notes on the required piece…take care of business!

It is truly thrilling for us to have so many students at our school who want to play Jazz! It’s up to you to really dig-in and become immersed in jazz music… no matter what ensemble you are placed in.

Work hard, LISTEN, practice, take lessons, attend jazz camps, go to jams and have a fantastic summer!

Go Riders!
-Brown, Taylor, Kent, Van Bebber

Roosevelt Jazz Band, 2018-19

Saxophones
Elias Sullivan, alto 1
Elliot Hughes, alto 2
George Fulton, tenor 1
James Pettis, tenor 2
Nick Altemeier, baritone

Trumpets
Will Knight
Carter Eng
Colin Brace
Rei Ichikawa

Trombones
Elise Toney
Zach Sahlin
Nick Mesler
Alexis Kim
Toby Jay, bass trombone

Rhythm Section
Aaron Korver, piano
Nate Mesler, vibes
Max Young, bass
Henry Mohr, drums

Roosevelt Vocal Jazz Rhythm Section, 2018-19

Quinn Wedemeyer, piano
Faye Alesse, guitar
Dylan Wilson, bass
Grace Kaste, bass
Ethan Bovey, drums
Emma Usui-Villareal, drums

Roosevelt Jazz Band TWO, 2018-19

Saxophones
Rachel Nolander, alto
Maria Mann, alto
Sydney Colescott, alto
Em Spencer, tenor
Owen Gwinn, tenor
Olivia Sayres, tenor/clar.
Calvin Rey, baritone

Trumpets
Henry Roller
Sylvie Kromer
Hans Faul
Daniel Khastou
Daniel Kuizon

Trombones
Parker Casazza
Daniel Matsumoto
Bergen Sorby
Ryan Tyndall, bass trombone

Rhythm Section
Kai Medina, piano
Kohl Hebert, piano
Maco Dacanay, guitar
Palmer (P.J.) McDaniel, bass
Anna Thielke, bass
Finn Greeley, drums
Aidan Shapero, drums

Roosevelt Jazz Band THREE, 2018-19

Saxophones
Nicholas Araya-Bain, alto
Annalise Bledsoe, alto
Ellie Buchanan, baritone
Eli Corey, tenor
Abigail Glowney, alto
Jackson Jewett, alto
Julia Martin, tenor
Myles Mawa, tenor
Griffin Sanders, tenor

Trumpets
Lucas DiGuiseppe
Javier Gonzales
Nathan Reudink
Grady Spors
Devlin Swanson

Trombones
Aaron Kim
Thatcher Sexton
Sean Walsh
(need a 4th or bass trombone)
We would like all JB3 trombones to also play with JB4, until we can hopefully fill-out the section in JB4.

Rhythm Section
Theo Shouse, piano
Vlad Andral, piano
Jacob Gronquist, guitar
Markus Teuton, guitar
Alejandro Roca, bass
Nolan Wilson, bass
Theo Pleasure-Park, drums and vibes
Soloman Kruger, drums
Alberto Ariolla, drums (also plays piano)

Roosevelt Jazz Band FOUR, 2018-19

Saxophones
Ryan Boyle, tenor
Alden Cantara, tenor
Brooke Lambert, alto/flute
Cameron Moskito, tenor
Liam Randell, baritone
Noah Reudink, alto
Jack Uraine, tenor

Trumpets
Holden Abramonte
Joseph Matsumoto
Sam Phippen
Matthew Yoder

Trombones
WE NEED TROMBONES!
Where are the Eckstein bones?

Rhythm Section
Will Hoing, piano
Cameron Moskito (double on piano)
Ellis Andral, guitar
Grace Molinaro, guitar
Audrey Hughes, bass
Miles Miller, bass
Aiden Hunter, drums
Tristan Lockert, drums
Rasa Yaghmaie, drums (also plays piano)