2600 S. Harbor Blvd.
Channel Islands Harbor
California, 93035
805-487-3062
ccjazzc@gmail.com
. . .where jazz lives!
Includes Band Videos!
One way we keep jazz alive is by passing the value of this great art form on to our youth. We routinely open the monthly stage to local highschool jazz bands. Often individual student musicians are mentored and provided one on one lessons by some of the professional adult musician members of the CCJC AND that's not all! . . .
Through special fund drives and a portion of the proceeds from our monthly jazz dance ticket sales, each summer we send students to summer jazz camp run by our sister club, The Traditional Jazz Society, in Sacramento, California.
This summer (2012) we sent Eleanore Louise Bakewell, a young, talented 15 year old jazz vocalist who's made nice stides coming out of the gate with her musical career. Below is her thank you letter to the CCJC and a couple of pictures from her experience. . . and further down the page, you'll see images and history about prior years of the camp. We are so proud to support youth music education. This is just one of the ways we put your financial support to work for the music community!
The Channel Cities Jazz Club
Youth Summer Camp Program
Dear Channel Cities Jazz Club,
Thank you so much for sending me to camp. I had the most lovely time.
While at jazz camp I learned how to sing with a band and hold a microphone properly. I also learned to use less air in my voice during my one on one
vocal lesson with Shelley Burns. I had a great time meeting musicians and jamming with them. Also, the food at the camp was great and I gained a lot
of confidence about my voice because it was such a supportive environment. It was a real treat getting to work with such fine musicians. I had a really great time.
Since then, I've gotten offers to sing with other bands and I've gotten to sit in with a band called Stompy Jones. I just love it.
Before and after sets I've been enjoying swing dancing and at school I am taking a music theory class. It was a great experience thank you so much.
Eleanor Louise Bakewell
Immediately above and above to the right are photos of CCJC scholarship recipient, Eleanore Blakewell performing with her assigned jazz group at "Camp 2012".
Below is a video clip capturing some stage magic happening at jazz camp a few summers ago when, our presently very busy, Rachel Flowers was one of our scholarship recipients!
Further down the page, more fun pics of youth performing with the CCJC jammers!
Featured are:
Doyle Cooper-Trumpet, John Kagawa-Trombone, Chloe Feoranzo-Clarinet, Thomas Harris-Sax,
Chris Clark-Bass, Rachel Flowers-Piano, David Gierta-Drums, Audrey Reed-Vocal, The group was instructed by Greg Varlotta. We are so very proud of our youth and look forward to seeing them all reach for the highest heights in music!
Youth Program Director, Jim Holbrook provides a bit of history.. .
In the past 8 years the Channel Cities Jazz Club has sponsored a total of 25 local middle schoool and high school jazz band students to the Sacramento Summer Youth Traditional Jazz Camp. This camp is operated by the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society, which also holds one of the best and largest jazz festivals in the whole country each Memorial Day weekend. The camp is located at Sly Park, the Sacramento County Schools Outdoor Education Facility at Pollock Pines in the beautiful Sierra Nevada foothills, about an hour east of Sacramento.
The goal of the Trad Jazz Camp is to ensure the survival of the music by "Passing the Torch" from experienced jazz artists, (some of the finest anywhere) to aspiring young jazz musicians. To learn more about the camp and their very excellent program, check out their website at www.sacjazzcamp.org and click on the "youth section". The students that the CCJC has previously sent to the camp come back telling us things like, "I learned more there in a week than I did in a whole year from a private tutor", and "I was able to expand my improvising skills farther than I had ever imagined I was capable of", and "the whole week was a great experience for me and my jazz career". They also come back much better jazz musicians than they were before they went.
The jazz camp student for this summer is a vocalist, Eleanor Bakewell, a 16 year old 11th grader from El Camino High School in Ventura
Here is a list of all the students that the CCJC has sent to summer jazz camp, beginning in 2004. The Club pays the weeks tuition for each student, which is currently $625.00 plus $125.00 to the family, to be used toward the travel expence of the student to and from camp. The number of students that we send each year depends on our financial situation. We do greatfully accept donations to our Jazz Camp Schoolarship Fund. If you wish to donate, please drop a few dollars in the pretty little box on the entrance table at our monthly meetings at the Elks Lodge. Or if you prefer, you can send a check to the Channel Cities Jazz Club, PO Box 51333, Oxnard, Ca 93031. Thanks in advance.
2004
Fabian Mauricio, Santa Paula Hi
2005
Letitia Cabrero, Santa Paula Hi
Elisha Kennedy, Santa Paula Hi
2006
Kristin Mauricio, Santa Paula Hi
Curtis Blanck, Royal Hi, Simi Valley
Aaron Murray, Cabrillo Middle School, Ventura
2007
Daniel Yu, Rio Mesa Hi, Oxnard
Logan Givan, Santa Paula Hi
Amanda Lassich, Santa Paula Hi
Chris Cronin, Santa Paula Hi
Cisco Marquez, Santa Paula Hi
Wesley Bakewell, Cabrillo Middle School, Ventura
Josef Sartee, Cabrillo Middle School, Ventura
2008
Emily Rocksvold, Santa Paula Hi
Angel Perez, Santa Paula Hi
Katie Gregory, Rio Mesa Hi, Oxnard
Tony Aiello, Rio Mesa Hi, Oxnard
2009
Rachel Flowers, Hueneme Hi
2010
Andrea Toledo, Santa Paula Hi
James Edmondson, Hueneme Hi
Dru Blossom, Ventura Hi
2011
Christian Bennett, Ventura Hi
Nic Ming, Ventura Hi
Nate Rowley, Ventura Hi
Asa Tabor, Ventura Hi
Below: CCJC 2012 Scholarship Recipient,
Eleanore Louise Bakewell performing with the jammers at one our our monthly dances.
Left: A young and talented saxophonist who dropped in to blow us away in style demonstrating some real "chops" on the horn!
Right: Cameron Melendez, gifted and talented singer and saxophone player who's since gone to join the Ventura Community College Jazz Orchestra and planning big things ahead in his music career!
Left: Song stylist and smooth singing, Forest Rouss with Martha B on her 92nd birthday celebration. Forest and Cameron (above) connected at the CCJC for the first time and word has it that they are putting together an ensemble! Can't wait to hear what they come up with!
