CJC JAM SESSION, JULY 5

CJC JAM SESSION

The CJC Jam Session will be Sunday, July 5 from 2 - 4 pm at Java Joe's under the direction of Abe Goldstien. The rhythm section will be Kurt Bowermaster, Carl Morton and Nick Rieser. FREE. Call Phyllis Leaverton at 276-0777 for additional information.

Stu Calhoon Weekend - May 8 - May 11

Stu Calhoon

Oh, what a night! Jerry Talerico of Sam and Gabe's threw a party for Stu Calhoon on Sunday, May 11 that turned out to be THE BEST JAM SESSION that has graced the stages of Des Moines in years. Nearly all the JAZZ players in town were in attendance and most of them played including Susie Miget (who was instrumental in organizing the musicians), Jason Danielson, Jim Eklof, John Kizilarmut, Pete Simonson, Eric Krieger, Steve Charlson, Janey Hooper, Scott Smith, Rob Messer, Dave Altemeier, Jim Oatts, Scott Davis, Julius Brooks, Don Jaques, Bill Lauritson, Forrest Stewart and others . . . .

In addition, we also were treated with a visit by New York musician, Frank Perowsky who sat in on tenor for much of the evening.

WHEW!

A big THANK YOU to everyone who made this great event possible, including Jerry Talerico, Mike Pace and Susie Miget.The following evening (Monday, May 12), Stu performed a wonderful set with Pete Simonson and Eric Krieger at Adventureland Inn during the break of the regular Monday performance of the Des Moines Big Band. He received a standing ovation after his rendition of My Funny Valentine.

Above pictures courtesy of Rod Leaverton.

More pictures of the Stu Calhoon Tribute can be viewed by clicking the "read more" link below if you have a Facebook account.

Jazz In July, 2009

JAZZ IN JULY CONCERT SCHEDULE

This year's Jazz In July series has been announced. Click on the following link to view the entire schedule:

Iowa City Jazz Festival

2009 Iowa City Jazz Festival, July 3 - 5

There will be some exciting music in Iowa City over the 4th of July weekend. Click "read more" below to see the complete schedule.

From the Des Moines Register - The Oatts triplets

Oatts brothers and band Joey hope for a summer tour

Urbandale triplets want to play gigs in Chicago, Minneapolis and Kansas City during summer.

Jazz/rock band Joey is Just an Alias may be roaming the Midwest this summer. The band is considering the launch of a tour that would bring them more exposure in the music industry.

That important step takes on special significance when you consider the group's oldest members will graduate from high school in a few weeks.

Joey is made up of triplets Chris, Eric and Jeff Oatts of Urbandale, who are finishing their junior year at Johnston High School; Johnston seniors J.T. Minor of Johnston and Lindsay Timmons of Urbandale; and Jordan Leckband of Newton, Brendan Cunningham of Waukee and Travis Patton of West Des Moines.

The self-described "jazz, rock, funk and a little blues" band has developed a following in the metro area by playing Johnston's Green Days celebration last summer, an Iowa City jazz festival and coffeehouses in and around Des Moines.

Minor and Jeff Oatts said the group would like to play gigs in Chicago, Minneapolis and Kansas City.

"We'll have to get through graduations and stuff, and see what everyone is doing," said drummer Jeff Oatts, 17. "We'd love to do it; we'll have to see."

Joey is the brainchild of the Oatts brothers, third-generation musicians whose grandfather Jack Oatts founded Iowa's first high school jazz program. The three - Chris on alto sax and flute, Eric on tenor sax and Jeff on drums - started a jazz combo; Jeff Oatts said the group recruited Minor "to add a little funk," then brought in the others.

"Once we decided we didn't want to limit ourselves musically, we diverted into a bigger funk band, and that's when people really started to notice," Jeff Oatts said. "Playing Green Days last summer with the Tony Valdez Large Band was huge. We decided then to add some stuff, including a singer, so we could be more marketable."

Minor, 18, who plays guitar for the band, said he and the other members are pleased with the way Joey has evolved.

"When we played more of a funk-rock thing at Green Days, we found that playing that kind of music was the easiest way to get gigs," Minor said. "But it's not just about the money; it's fun to shatter the stereotypes of what people thought we would be like.

"We try to add different elements to make the music hipper and more unexpected, and we do a lot of improvising and try to listen to each other when we're playing."

Minor said that although he doesn't want to come across as overconfident, no one who has heard Joey would regard it as a typical high school band.

"Before Joey, I played with more of what you'd expect from people my age, and this has been a big upgrade," he said. "The musicians we've pulled in have been people we met at jazz camps and saw them in school jazz bands and knew how good they were. We sort of have the cream of the crop."

Dave Camwell, assistant professor of saxophone and jazz studies at Simpson College in Indianola, said he would not hesitate to recommend the band.

"Typically, when you think of a teenagers' band, you think of amateurs playing with only friends and family coming out to see them," Camwell said. "But they shouldn't be judged by their ages, just by their abilities. Their music is something everyone would enjoy."

Jim Romain, associate professor of saxophone and assistant director of jazz studies at Drake University, has played music with the Oatts brothers' father, Jim Oatts, and said that upon hearing Joey he was impressed with what the group could do.

"The musical talent obviously runs deep and wide in the Oatts family," Romain said. "You can hear in their playing that they really grew up with the music as a part of their lives; it's not something they've just picked up academically. They've been steeped in the tradition of the music, and they've found others who share their passion and talent."

Minor said in addition to traveling and playing Green Days, Joey also will play this year's Dam to Dam marathon, is trying to obtain a license for street performing, and may do some studio recording. Some of the band's members also hope to perform acoustic sets at small venues, Minor said.

Although half the band will leave for college in the fall, Minor said, members hope to keep Joey going during college breaks and summer vacations. The Oatts brothers "may start something on their own while we're gone, so watch out for that," he said.

Drummer Jeff Oatts, Des Moines Register March 6, 2009

Jeff Oatts drums up award at Tall Corn Jazz Festival

It was a day for the "unsung heroes" to be represented.

Drummer Jeff Oatts of Urbandale was named Outstanding Musician - an unusual award for a drummer - last month at the University of Northern Iowa's Tall Corn Jazz Festival. In addition to the honor, Oatts, 17, a Johnston High School junior, received a scholarship to the university's jazz combo camp this summer.

Not bad for someone who was so sure he wasn't going to win that he wasn't really even paying attention by the time his name was called.

"Drummers usually don't get that award, so I was actually starting to think about other things by that part," Oatts said. "When they said my name, I think everyone else was surprised, too. It felt really good.

Oatts, a member of Johnston's jazz ensemble and show band, wowed the crowd at UNI with a solo in "Cruisin' for a Bluesin," a jazz composition made famous by Canadian jazz trumpeter and bandleader Maynard Ferguson.

Oatts' instrumental music instructor at Johnston, Patrick Kearney, said the song was a good vehicle for the young drummer to showcase his unique skills.

"Jeff has become one of the best high school drummers in the state, and what makes him unique is that he really listens to the band and accentuates what they are doing," Kearney said. "It's easy for a drummer to just keep time, but Jeff has really learned how to drive the band and lead from his chair. He has really developed as a player."

Oatts' musical skills should come as a surprise to no one: his grandfather, saxophonist Jack Oatts, was named the "Father of High School Jazz" in Iowa by the Iowa Jazz Educators Hall of Fame; Oatts' uncle, Dick Oatts, is a renowned jazz saxophonist and teacher; and his father, Jim Oatts, also is a professional musician and educator. Oatts' mother, Lori Oatts, is a singer.

Oatts is one of a set of triplets, and his brothers, Chris and Eric, also are musicians. The three play together in a jazz band called Joey is Just an Alias.

But at one time, Oatts wasn't sure music was in the cards for him

"I started playing the trumpet in fourth-grade. I wasn't very good, and I gave it up when I realized the trumpet blew," Oatts said - pun intended.

Oatts took up drums in fifth-grade, but it was a hard sell when it came to the kind of music he heard around the house

"The music I was playing was so boring at first that I thought, 'I don't like jazz at all,' " he said. "But I was fortunate to be exposed to some really great jazz drummers, so it wasn't long before I was saying, 'OK, yeah, I want to be one of those guys.' "

Oatts said he feels honored to be a part of "the best jazz band Johnston has ever had" and to be a part of a family that, despite its renown in the music world, has never pressured him.

"There's a lot of music around all the time, and I know there are things I've picked up from that, but it's not like we're told by our parents, 'You must do music,' " Oatts said. "I know I'll always want to be in a band, but I don't know what I want to do for a career. I still have some time to figure it out."

Lori Oatts said the UNI award was an important one not just for her son, but for other high school drummers as well.

"There are many talented musicians who participate in these competitions, and so often the drummer is the unsung hero of an ensemble," she said. "I'm thrilled that Jeff was recognized."

(This article from the Des Moines Register - March 6, 2009)

SYNERGY JAZZ FOUNDATION - Trombonist Tim Coffman April 4 - 6

SYNERGY JAZZ FOUNDATION and The Aebersold Project

Jazz educators know the name "Jamey Aebersold"!

The newly formed, non-profit Synergy Jazz Foundation has been formed to provide a valuable jazz experience for Central Iowa jazz students. "The Aebersold Project" is Synergy's first undertaking. Its goal is to enable high school students to study with faculty members of the internationally known Aebersold Summer Jazz Camps. Throughout the school year, faculty will come to Des Moines to teach and perform Each visit will include Saturday workshops and an evening benefit performance featuring local musicians.

Sunday afternoons include a jam session and a workshop in coordination with the Community Jazz Center. A Sunday evening get-together will allow contributors, educators and musicians to meet face to face with Aebersold faculty. Monday workshops in area schools will be followed by a benefit performance at Adventureland Inn with with the Des Moines Big Band.

The second phase of the Aebersold Project involves sending a group of twenty or more students to the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Camp in Louisville, Kentucky.

Click on "read more" below to access PDF fileswith additional information about The Synergy Jazz Foundation and also the first guest artist, Roy Harbison.

CJC Honor Jazz Bands and Middle School Festival

Greater Des Moines Community Jazz Center – CJC

Two important student events during the month of January!

The CJC has been involved with two very important events to promote jazz for Des Moines area students for many years. The Middle School Jazz Festival was on Saturday, January 17 at Prairieview School in Waukee and the High School Honor Jazz Bands was Tuesday, January 27 at Indianola High School.

Middle School Jazz Festival

Prairieview School

655 Southeast University Avenue

Waukee

Saturday, January 17, 2009

(This is a festival format – no trophies or soloist certificates.)

High School Honor Jazz Bands

Indianola, Iowa

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

The purpose of the CJC Honor Jazz Bands is to offer an opportunity for the outstanding high school jazz musicians in Central Iowa to perform together and work with a director that is highly respected in the jazz education field. There will be a 9 – 10 and 11 – 12 grade band.

The event is intended to be a strong educational non-competitive perfornace experience. The day will be run like a typical honor band situation with a full day of rehearsal and performance in the evening. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to play jazz with their contemporaries from other high schools in the area.

Friday night JAZZ in Pella

LATIN QUARTER in downtown Pella features Friday night JAZZ!

Eric Sickler is working with Pella's LATIN BISTRO owner, Ana Lopez-Dawson to "build an all-star jazz schedule for Friday nights" at the downtown restaurant (www.thelatinbistro.com). The schedule kicks off with pianist/vocalist JANEY HOOPER at 7:30 on Friday, January 9 and will hopefully continue supporting live jazz on a regular basis. Some of the musicians planned to appear at The Latin Quarter include Ashanti Trio, Sam Salomone, Bryan Schumacker, Tommy Doggett, Roxi Copland, Seth Hedquist, Mike Pfaff, Max Wellman, Jason Danielson, Dave Bohl, John Scott, John Kizilarmut, Dave Altemeier, Dave Sharp and others. Good luck to the LATIN BISTRO!

CJC Hall of Fame and Special Recognition Awards

Community Jazz Center Hall of Fame and Special Recognition Awards

The 8th Annual CJC Hall of Fame and Special Recognition Awards took place on Sunday, October 19 at Adventureland Inn and was a memorable evening of musical and spoken tributes for some of the people who have made significant contributions to Des Moines' JAZZ community in past years.

Trombonist David Ferneau received the Bobby Dawson Award for his involvement with monthly CJC jam sessions. David Kobberdahl and Wayne Page received Special Recognition Awards. Jim Oatts and Don Hoy were inducted in the CJC Jazz Hall of Fame.

Excellent music was provided by Jason Danielson, John Kizilarmut, Pete Van De Riet, Steve Charlson, Scott Smith, Bob Weast, Jim Oatts and sons, Julius Brooks and the Don Hoy Alumni Band assembled by John Morgan. Thanks to everyone that participated in this wonderful event. We hope to have pictures posted to this site soon thanks to the photography of Linda Diment!

Mayor Cownie Proclaims October 19 as "Jazz History Day in Des Moines"

Mayor Frank Cownie proclaims October 19 as "Jazz History Day in Des Moines"!

Des Moines mayor Frank Cownie congratulated Jim Oatts on his Hall of Fame induction at the October 13 City Council meeting . This has been an annual tradition since 2001 when then Mayor Preston Daniels invited inductees Francis Bates and Bobby Parker (accompanied by Frank Tribble) to perform a few songs at City Hall. The CJC is grateful that the City of Des Moines recognizes and supports contributions made to the community by the musicians who keep this great music alive in our city.

JAZZ MUSIC FOR YOUR EVENT!

Do you need JAZZ music for your special event?

Looking for live jazz entertainment for a wedding reception, corporate event, or holiday party? I can help you find the appropriate local musician to fill your needs. Whether you are looking for a single performer or an entire big band, there are plenty of local musicians who can provide great music for your function. E-mail John Krantz at jkrantz978@aol.com with the date, times, location and a description of the event and I will get back to you with recommendations. (I am not a booking agent and do not charge a fee. I do this as a service to Des Moines' jazz musicians and will put you directly in touch with the musician.)

Vern's Restaurant and Lounge Closes - March 16, 2009

Vern's Restaurant and Lounge in Clive call it quits!

Another jazz venue has apparently succombed to tough times as saxophonist Wayne Page informed us today that VERN'S RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE located at 15970 in Clive is "closing immediately".

The restaurant began having jazz on Monday evenings last fall and it was popular with local jazz fans who came out to hear "JazzPage", the quartet led by Wayne Page along with Steve Charlson (bass), Ron Roberts (guitar) and John Kizilarmut (drums). More recently, the restaurant has featured a group led by Max Wellman on Thursday evenings.

Business appeared good on Monday and Thursday nights as there were always a mix of jazz fans and students present to support the music. (Perhaps those were the only nights of the week that drew a crowd.) Vern's was a short lived experience for many of, but it was very good while it lasted. Jazz fans will miss hearing the great music that has been featured there for the past several months.

Please support music in local jazz clubs!

Student Letters

Jazz Students from Boone, Iowa express appreciation for CJC Jazz Festival.

The Honor Band chair, Mr. Chris Crandall recently forwarded three letters from students who participated in the Jazz Band Festival to CJC president Phyllis Leaverton. The students expressed how much they appreciated the opportunity to be involved with the event. We are sharing a few of their letters here on the site.

Click "read more" below to see another student letter.

CITYVIEW article on CJC president Phyllis Leaverton

"PEOPLE MAKING A DIFFERENCE"

CITYVIEW article profiles the dedication of CJC president Phyllis Leaverton!

CJC President Phyllis Leaverton

THANK YOU to "Music Writer", Michael Swanger for his recent article in the December 15 issue of CITYVIEW about six Des Moines people "making a difference". One of the individuals profiled was none other than our wonderful (and modest) CJC president, Phyllis Leaverton. Her tireless hours of dedication to the CJC cause makes her well-deserving of this tribute. Click on "read more" below for a link to the entire article. - John M. Krantz

JAZZ on www.youtube

Surfing the internet? You might as well use that time to check out videos of your favorite JAZZ artists. One site where you can spend many hours doing this is www.youtube.com. You can vistt that site and use the search feature to type in the name of whomever you want to watch perform. Try typing: "Miles Davis", "Bill Evans", "Sonny Rollins", "Oscar Peterson" or "Art Tatum". Or you can type in the title of a jazz standard like "So What" and you'll get several different versions of it performed by famous players or some unknown player that happens to have a video camera. I konw for a fact that you can even find videos of a local players from Des Moines.

If you haven't experienced this immense video resource, try clicking on the following link about Joe Lovano and Hank Jones and then just take off from there to watch hours of jazz videos:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nCv3SeKG1w

2007 Hall Of Fame pictures are now posted to this site!

VIEW PICTURES FROM THE 2007 CJC JAZZ HALL OF FAME!

The 2007 CJC JAZZ HALL OF FAME was another wonderful evening of great music and tributes to some of Central Iowa's most dedicated and accomplished musicians. This years inductees were Phil Mattson, Bob Weast, the Gray Brothers and Dartanyan Brown. Special Recognition Awards were presented to Paul Micich and Rob Messer. The Bobby Dawson Awards (for a student musician) was given to Paige Sanders. Be sure to visit the "Photo" section of this website to see many more pictures from the 2007 Hall Of Fame! Special thanks to Linda Diment for providing ALL Hall Of Fame photos!

CJC HALL OF FAME CD NOW AVAILABLE- The CJC is proud to announce that we now have an audio CD of the musical portions of the recent Hall Of Fame event available for purchase soon. We want to extend our sincere "Thanks" to Bob Economaki for his outstanding recording abilities and Don Jaques for doing the final mixing on the recording.

This CD features several tracks featuring Sam Salomone (CJC Hall of Fame inductee), Don Jaques and Rob Messer. Additionally, there is a blues by singer Tina Haase-Findlay with Bruce Martin, Dartanyan Brown (CJC Hall of Fame inductee) and Rob Messer. There are two songs featuring recent CJC Hall of Fame inductee, Bob Weast. Lastly, there are two very beautiful duets by Susie Miget and Hall of Fame inductee Phil Mattson.

The recording serves as an example of the extraordinary musical talent in the Des Moines area and why the CJC honors these individuals annually at the CJC Hall of Fame and Special Recognition Awards every October at Adventureland Inn.

You may purchase a copy of this CD for a mere $15 by phoning Phyllis Leaverton at 276-0777 or stopping at one of the Java Joe's jam sessions on the first Sunday of every month or the CJC Big Band appearances at Java Joe's on the third Sunday of every month. Also check out Abe Goldstien's "Straight, No Chaser" radio show on KFMG 99.1 to hear occasional airplay of some of this wonderful recording.

SUPPORT THE CJC AND ALL LOCAL JAZZ!

THANKS FOR VISITING OUR WEBSITE . . .

ABOUT THE CJC WEBSITE . . .

This CJC website (www.dmcommunityjazzcenter.org ) was "a long time coming" and will be a work in progress. It will give you important information about the CJC and how YOU CAN BECOME A SUPPORTING MEMBER!

* You will be able to view a schedule of "Upcoming JAZZ Events". It may be viewed in a monthy calendar format, weekly or as an agenda list. Scroll across events on the calendar and you can see more details.

* You can read about the "CJC Jazz Hall Of Fame" and bios on tne many esteemed inductees. (Parts are still "under construction".)

* You can check "Links" to informative JAZZ related websites and especially those of local JAZZ players. **** If you wish to submit your personal URL for inclusion on the CJC website, please send an e-mail to jkrantz978@aol.com..

* There will be a photo gallery featuring pictures of local students, professional musicians and visiting artists.

* You can read past issues of the CJC quarterly newsletter, "Straight Ahead".

* "Blogging" has become a popular way for people to receive valuable daily updates on their own computers and this website offers that feature.

The possibilities are practically endless and we have a lot of other ideas that might be incorporated into the site. Please feel feel to contact us with any suggestions that you might have. This is our forum to the local Des Moines JAZZ community.

Submissions for Event LIstings

Do you have a JAZZ event that should be listed on this site?

Do you have pictures or an article for this site?

If so; you may e-mail your event info (JAZZ only, please) to cjc@mcshi.com and it will be forwarded to me. I can generally get it on the JAZZ CALENDAR the same day, but you should allow at least 48 hours before the event. One clubowner submits the entire upcoming month's performance schedule in advance and another busy jazz player does similarly and that is truly appreciated. Of course, there are always some "last minute" gigs. I am always happy to promote your event. Just make sure that it is JAZZ if you want it on this site . . . and the "sooner that you submit it, the better".

We are also seeking digital pictures of any local jazz happenings to include in the "Photos" section of this website. If you are a performer, it might also be included on the calendar in the "Schedule" section. Please attach a digiital image to an e-mail and send it to: jkrantz978@aol.com. Check out the Photo section of this site. We have just added many pictures of the Java Joe's Jam Session from December 2nd. Open an "album", click on an individual picture to enlarge it and then click "next" to see them all.

Lastly, if you wish to submit any commentary on JAZZ, or perhaps a review of a recording or local performance, you may attach it as a Word document to an an e-mail. Send it to me and it will be reviewed for consideration.

The CJC is always looking for new content for this website in order to keep it fresh and always evolving in an effort to keep the JAZZ fans of Central Iowa informed.

- John Krantz

Schedule of Events

Check the CALENDAR OF JAZZ EVENTS regularly!

Check out the Schedule of upcoming JAZZ events!

There is a great lineup of music to appreciate in the area.
Thank you for supporting live JAZZ in Des Moines!

Click "read more" below for the complete calendar of local jazz events . . .

Photo acknowledgment

The CJC would like to thank Linda Diment for providing all photos taken at the annual Hall of Fame event.

We've got a blog

We've got a blog, subscribe and keep up to date with everything on the Greater Des Moines Community Jazz Center.

Oatts brothers and band Joey hope for a summer tour

Jeff Oatts drums up award at Tall Corn Jazz Festival

Check the CALENDAR OF JAZZ EVENTS regularly!

There is a great lineup of music to appreciate in the area. Thank you for supporting live JAZZ in Des Moines!

There is a great lineup of music to appreciate in the area.
Thank you for supporting live JAZZ in Des Moines!