Saturday, May 19 is the date for this year’s Super Jazz at the Ranch. Jazz bands from across the Santa Clarita Valley and surrounding areas will converge at West Ranch High School for what promises to be an outstanding day of jazz. Top adjudicators that include active professional musicians, and notable jazz educators, will be on hand to evaluate jazz ensembles from Hart District junior highs and high schools, as well as other schools from around Southern California.
Super Jazz at the Ranch is an annual jazz festival, created by noted music educator, Bob Babko, to bring professional and student musicians together. At the All State Music Education Conference, held earlier this year in Fresno, Babko was inducted into the California Alliance for
Jazz Hall of Fame, in recognition of his dedication to music education. Establishing the Super Jazz music festival over a decade ago, was just one of his many endeavors to provide local jazz students with extraordinary opportunities to perform and learn.
Highlights of this year’s festival include featured guest artist and clinician, Andy Martin, L.A.’s first call trombonist and lead trombone player with the Gordon Goodwin Big Phat Band, and a performance clinic from CSUN’s Latin Jazz Band, led by Jerry Steinholtz. There will also be special appearances by the Golden Oak Jazz Band, under the direction of Bob Babko, the Marine Corp Jazz Combo, and the William S. Hart District Honor Jazz Band, directed by Matt Harris, an ensemble of All-Star jazz students from the six Hart District high schools.
All day general admission is $10, and admission for students and seniors is $7. Venues include the outstanding West Ranch Performance Theater, Library, and outdoor Amphitheater. Food concessions will be available onsite. The full performance schedule will be announced prior to the event. Updated information will be available at www.westranchmusic.com and at www.facebook.com/WRHSBandBoosters.
For additional information, contact Brian Leff, Director of Jazz Studies, West Ranch High School, at bleff@hartdistrict.org.
photo courtesy Maria Chittum of www.scvphotomom.com