Sacto Jazz Ed Foundation: “Reno, Here We Come!”

The mission of the Sacramento Jazz Education Foundation, formerly known as the STJS Foundation, is to preserve and promote Traditional Jazz music through youth education and partnering with jazz educators and other non-profit organizations. Since its inception in 1996, the SacJEF has evolved into an organization that administers and funds a number of jazz educational programs, including an annual Jazz Camp, awards for private music lessons, free instruments, a high school honor jazz band, and the Trad Jazz Project in local schools. Every February, SacJEF and Sacramento State Jazz Studies present, in conjunction with the Traditional Jazz Educators Network, the Teagarden Jazz Festival for young musicians, possibly the only scholastic combo festival devoted to Traditional Jazz.

In an effort to contribute to an ongoing Early/Trad Jazz presence within the Jazz Education Network (JEN), the SacJEF became a Signature JEN Chapter/Society last year. By joining this JEN jazz society, new/renewing JEN members using the Coupon Code 2018 sacjazz, receive the discounted membership rate of $50 instead of $84. (Supporters of traditional jazz outside the west coast are encouraged to join Dave Robinson’s national JEN Traditional Jazz Society.) JEN members also receive the members’ publication, receive news about grants, and are eligible to register/participate in the January 2019 JEN conference in Reno (plus other benefits listed online).

The application process for performances and clinics at the annual JEN Conference is highly competitive, and SacJEF is proud to have been selected to participate in the upcoming JEN conference. SacJEF is sponsoring the Teagarden Jazz Festival Clinicians with Wycliffe Gordon, January 9 – 12, 2019, at the Grand Sierra Resort. Additionally, Dr. William Au, SacJEF Board President, will be a panelist for a discussion on “Getting Hip to Early Jazz” coordinated by Dave Robinson.

Traditional Jazz will also be well represented by Dr. Steve Call, who has been a TJF clinician as well as participating band director from Brigham Young University. TJF director Dr. Steve Roach, Director of Jazz Studies, will also be at the conference with his Sacramento State University Jazz Ensemble. If you are planning on attending the conference, please visit one or all of these Trad Jazz presentations and say “Hello!” For a complete listing of Trad Jazz at JEN, please see Dave Robinson’s article.

Performance: Teagarden Jazz Festival Clinicians Band
with Wycliffe Gordon (Justin Au, trpt; Chloe Feoranzo, reeds; Bill Dendle, bjo/gtr; Jason Wanner, p; Shelley Denny, bass; Ron Jones, drums)