Nancy Planck, Member Services
Ellington Big Band Youth Jazz Concert is coming to the Madera Clubhouse Crystal Ballroom on Thursday, Oct. 21. A cash bar will open at 5 p.m. with showtime at 6 p.m. (Please note the start time!) Tickets are $29. The show is produced by Khris Dodge Entertainment.
The Tucson Jazz Institute (TJI) Ellington Big Band, directed by John Black, with assistance by TJI owners Brice Winston and Scott Black, is composed of high school musicians from the greater Tucson area, including Nogales, who study at this award-winning community music school. This big band (one of six at TJI), loved for their swinging diverse and energetic big band sounds, is the No. 1 high school big band, placing in the top 38 years in a row, including receiving the prestigious national Jazz at Lincoln Center Essentially Ellington Competition Award presided over by Wynton Marsalis. They were named the Best Community Jazz Band in the annual Student Music Awards in DownBeat Magazine in May 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2017.
The Tucson Jazz Institute teaches middle school students on Saturdays and high school students on Sundays. They study jazz improvisation in small group classes (combos) and swing era music in big bands. TJI has about 100 students and gives many children an outlet they would not have otherwise. More than 90 percent of their graduates get substantial college scholarships. Their alumni attend some of the most prestigious schools in the nation including The Juilliard School, the Manhattan School of Music, the New England Conservatory, Princeton University, University of Southern California, and Swarthmore College (many on scholarship), and have gone on to have major careers in jazz music. To learn more about the Tucson Jazz Institute, visit www.tucsonjazzinstitute.com.
At TJI, their mission is to create educational and performance opportunities for young musicians to reach their highest potential. Jazz ensembles are taught by seasoned educators with the highest standard of musical excellence and a proven track record of success in developing young talent. The TJI Ellington Big Band and the TJI Concord Combo have established themselves as two of the leading high school jazz groups in the country, earning recognition from Downbeat Magazine and winning the No. 1 position in national competitions such as the Jazz at Lincoln Center Essentially Ellington Jazz Festival in New York City, the Next Generation Jazz Festival in Monterey, Calif., and the Fullerton Jazz Festival in Fullerton, Calif.
Students have the opportunity to play and develop meaningful friendships at TJI, with focused and dedicated musicians from all over Tucson and Southern Arizona.
Students perform in ensembles of all levels and have the opportunity to advance from beginner classes to the number No. 1 school jazz band in the nation.
Travel opportunities to attend festivals for clinics, adjudication, competition, and performance have included Arizona, California, Utah, New York City, and Europe.
Over a period of time, the TJI experience helps students develop skills in teamwork and leadership. Ultimately, students have more self-confidence and self-esteem.
Several public performance opportunities exist on a weekly basis for students to jam and perform with TJI instructors and local professionals. As a result, TJI students and their families have helped develop and build a community of supportive jazz fans who support live music.
The Tucson Jazz Institute is home to the award-winning TJI big bands and combos, TJI Music Technology classes (recording arts), and the recording label TJI Jazz. They are dedicated to music education taught by seasoned professionals in a positive and stimulating environment. They offer music classes in jazz combo, jazz big band, and music technology, as well as private lessons for students of all ages.
Masks are recommended but not required in the Madera Clubhouse and all POA facilities.
Tickets will only be sold through Member Services (formerly Concierge Desk) at 520-393-5822.